Persons Encouraged To Apply For Rural Hackney Carriage Licenses

Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Robert Montague, is encouraging persons interested in operating rural hackney carriages to apply to the Transport Authority (TA) by the deadline of November 30.

Addressing a consultation with transport operators on September 27, at The Knutsford Court Hotel in New Kingston, the Minister noted that since the TA opened the system for rural areas on September 10, the agency has received some 2,000 applications.

Encouraging persons to meet the deadline, after which there will be no extension, Mr. Montague said they should go to any office of the TA, and avoid persons claiming to be agents of the Authority. “The TA has no agents, so apply on your own,” the Minister urged.

Mr. Montague called on drivers and owners of public passenger vehicles to update their information on the TA database within two weeks of any change, noting that it is a breach of the law for operators not to provide the agency with   their telephone numbers and addresses.

He also told the Authority’s inspectors not to engage in a vehicle chase of persons when they breach their operating licences, as they can serve warrants at the addresses of the operators.

“Sometimes, in chasing drivers, you endanger the lives of others,” he told the audience.

The forum was also addressed by representatives from Municipal Corporations, the National Works Agency (NWA), the Island Traffic Authority (ITA) and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).