Public transportation disrupted as taxi operators protest in Westmoreland

WESTERN BUREAU:

A strike by disgruntled taxi operators disrupted classes and the local transportation network in Westmoreland yesterday when they blocked the main road between Grange Hill and Savanna-la-Mar and demanded its immediate rehabilitation.

Patrick Forrester, president of the Petersfield Taxi Association, said his members have been very patient and have long called for better road conditions on which to transport passengers in comfort.

“They have been crying out for many years now, and they have been very patient. The condition of the road has been deplorable for years and, as a result of that, they have been facing [mounting] expenses,” Forrester said.

Yesterday, disgruntled taxi operators, supported by residents, withdrew their services to protest the poor road conditions. The protesters used old appliances and uncollected garbage to block sections of the Grange Hill to Savanna-la-Mar roadway, including Tollgate. They have also threatened to continue to demonstrate if nothing is done in the coming days.

“The road [condition] allows them to be prone to accidents. The road allows them to be prone every day to wear and tear,” the public transport operator told The Gleaner.

“The taxi operators are showing that they are fed up now and they need immediate attention from the relevant authority,” he argued.

According to Forrester, these operators are saying that the time has come for the road to be properly rehabilitated.

“And we are not talking about patching. We are talking about a full rehabilitation of the road – dig it up and resurface the road,” Forrester insisted. “The operators need the road, it is not justifiable for these operators to be complying with all these relevant fees – road licence, registration, mechanic, and gas tax.”

Clifton Hines, one of several taxi operators who withdrew their services, said they have tolerated the pothole-riddled road network for too long.

“We are now forced to take action in order to get the attention of the authorities to get the road fixed, because we are operating at a great loss and we can’t continue like this,” Hines said as he decried the dilapidated road surface.

He said he and his colleagues are not able to take home any money and that, even if they were to receive a 25 per cent increase in taxi fares, they would still be losing about 100 per cent at the same time because of the wear and tear on their vehicles.

“We need the authority to come and tell us when they are going to fix the road now,” added Hines.