Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Toll Authority, Joan Fletcher, says based on a contractual agreement, the Government would have been obliged to pay the toll operators just under $500 million if they were to forego the toll increases, which will take effect on July 6. She explained that the right to an increase is based on the formula outlined...

Minister of Transport, Works and Housing, Dr. the Hon. Omar Davies, has lauded the work being done under the Jamaica Emergency Employment Programme (JEEP) in the various constituencies across the island. “One of the interesting things about the JEEP is that even though you are spending far less money than the big ticket items in the Ministry, I believe it...

State Minister in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, Hon. Richard Azan, says that progress is being made in the completion of several road rehabilitation projects in the parish of St. James. The works fall under the Jamaica Infrastructure Development Programme (JIDP). Already, several projects have been completed and Mr. Azan said that barring heavy rains, the refurbishing works...

The National Housing Trust (NHT) will be seeking to achieve significant reductions in construction costs to lower the price of houses to contributors. Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, Dr. Morais Guy, said the move is part of efforts to meet the demand for some 400,000 houses. “The Government recognises that this has to be...

Principal and Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies (UWI), Professor Gordon Shirley, will serve as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Port Authority of Jamaica effective November 1, 2013. In a statement to the House of Representatives on June 18, Minister of Transport, Works and Housing, Hon. Dr. Omar Davies, said Professor Shirley will replace Noel...

Executive Director of the National Road Safety Council (NRSC), Paula Fletcher, has reiterated her call for Jamaicans to refrain from using their mobile phones while driving on the island’s roadways. She was speaking on June 5, at the Jamaica Gasoline Retailers Association’s (JGRA) launch of National Road Safety Awareness Month, held in New Kingston. The theme for National Road Safety...

The feasibility study for the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project is expected to be completed this financial year. Making the disclosure during his contribution to the 2013/14 Sectoral Debate in the House on June 5, State Minister for Transport, Works and Housing, Hon. Richard Azan, informed that this initiative is in keeping with the Government’s efforts to “plan ahead to...

As part of long term efforts to tackle traffic congestion in urban centres, the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, will be seeking to establish a modern Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). This is to provide real-time monitoring and control of highway traffic operations, through a centralized Traffic Management Centre (TMC). State Minister in the Transport, Works and Housing Ministry, Hon....

Motorists using the flood-prone Bog Walk Gorge in St. Catherine will soon be provided with a reliable early warning system to alert them to dangerous conditions in the area. State Minister in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, Hon. Richard Azan, has said that the National Works Agency (NWA) will be installing closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and radios...