Transportation centre expansion set for Manchester town

CHRISTIANA, MANCHESTER:

Traffic congestion caused by inadequate parking facilities for taxi drivers could become a thing of the past in Christiana, Manchester, following the announcement of an expansion of the existing transportation centre.

Minister of Transportation and Mining and Member of Parliament for Northeast Manchester, Audley Shaw, who, along with stakeholders and members of the Transport Authority, toured the facility on Friday, said works could begin in the next two to three months.

It is expected that a half acre of land will be prepared for the expansion westerly towards the bypass in Phase 1 of the project, and an additional acre could be acquired for expansion in subsequent phases.

Last year, scores of taxi operators withdrew their services in protest of the imposition of fines for parking in restricted areas despite the limitations in the designated parking areas.

Since then, one of the parks once utilised by the operators has been repurposed by its owners, forcing the taxi drivers to park along the popular Wildman Street, among other areas.

According to Managing Director of the Transport Authority Jamaica, Ralston Smith, there is a target to accommodate approximately 500 taxis, at any one time, following the expansion of the transportation centre.

UNREASONABLE ENFORCEMENTHe admitted that even as the misconduct of taxi operators who park along the roadways continues, there cannot be an unreasonable enforcement of the law until the authorities provide an alternative.

“Enforcement cannot be carried out in a vacuum and, therefore, in so far as there is inadequate infrastructure to accommodate the operators, we would have seen that the police have allowed the operators to use a certain side of the roadway to park. What we want to do is ensure we create a space for the operators to park comfortably in a transport centre.”

Mayor of Mandeville Donovan Mitchell said the long overdue project, upon completion, will not only allow for better flow of traffic, but will appease commuters and the business owners whose businesses have been affected as a result of the congestion.

“We are looking forward to having this expansion. The lands belong to the Municipal Corporation, and we will get the funds from Transport Authority. We are asked to do the designs at the corporation, and my office and the technical department will be dealing with it in the fastest possible time. We want to ensure that by December, if at all possible, the people will have a new transport centre.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Councillor of the Christiana division Desmond Harrison added that the area, which is the hub of four parishes – Manchester, Clarendon, St Ann and Trelawny - has indeed exceeded its capacity to handle traffic increases with the current facilities and indicated that the project could not have come at a better time.