Illegal Transport Operators Encouraged to Legitimise Activities

Persons operating illegally in the public transport system are being encouraged to formalise their activities by obtaining the necessary licences.

Manager at the Transport Authority (TA), Rohan Smith, made the appeal while addressing a recent traffic symposium at the St. Mary Parish Court in Port Maria.

“Show us exactly what you mean to nation-building… be a part of the system,” he said.

“We are willing, we are ready, and we are able to assist any individual or organisation that wishes to be a part of this public transport sector,” he added.

Addressing concerns regarding lengthy processing times for road licences, Mr. Smith said that the process takes as little as 10 business days.

“There are other categories of licence that will take more scrutiny and will take more time, but 90 per cent of our licences can be obtained within 10 working days,” he pointed out.

“So, there’s no excuse for persons to be running around illegally,” he said, encouraging persons to liaise with their taxi associations for available routes.

The traffic symposium was held under the theme ‘Share the road, empowering traffic users, share the knowledge with the community’ and served as an information session where residents were able to have their questions answered and receive important information from presenters.

Mr. Smith hailed the initiative as an important step in bringing information to the public so that they can operate within the law.

“We (TA) can’t work in a sense of ambiguity. We have to be out there. Persons must see us, must be able to talk to us, must be able to get information from us and know what we are for,” the Manager said.

He noted that an important role of the TA is to ensure that Jamaicans travel to their destinations safely and in reliable vehicles.

“So, when you see us outside there doing our work, it is for your own safety. [It is] to make sure that if there’s an accident, you can claim from your respective insurance company and your family will be compensated in the sad case of a loss of life. So, please accept us for what we bring to the table in terms of your own safety,” Mr. Smith said.