Several caught on the streets of the capital after curfew takes effect

Several persons found themselves on the streets of downtown Kingston this afternoon as the nationwide curfew took effect at 3:00 pm.

On Parade, in the heart of the capital, several commuters on their way to the eastern parishes of Portland and St Thomas complained that they were left stranded by operators of public passenger vehicles, who pulled their services in order to obey the 3:00 pm curfew.

"We out here from after 2:00 pm," a woman who said she was heading to Trinityville in St Thomas complained to our news team. "I'm relying on Coaster buses, but because of the curfew none not coming."

She was one of several people seen waiting on public transportation. A Honda Stream motor car eventually came to offer assistance, but was not large enough to take her along with her goods and other passengers. 

The woman could be heard making concerned phone calls to loved ones, desperately trying to get a bus to wait for her in Morant Bay, St Thomas that would take her from there into Trinityville. 

Eventually, a Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) bus pulled up to assist the stranded commuters, who bungled at the doors in order to get inside, disregarding the police's pleas for them to form a line. 

Power outage in West Kingston

In Tivoli Gardens, West Kingston, several residents were seen on the streets as the security forces patrolled the area. They complained that they were forced to venture into the streets due to a power outage. 

"Mr Prime Minister, we love you, but we can't go in right now because we don't have any light two hours," a female resident told our news team at about 3:45 pm. 

"We can't go in there, because heat a go kill we in there," she said. 

"And worse a 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon them a send we in, so we a go dead in there," said another female resident. "We want go in yes, but we can't manage it."

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us @onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.