Taxi Operators in Clarendon Attend Safety Sensitisation Session

Taxi operators in May Pen, Clarendon, were recently updated on measures to prevent accidents on the roads, at a Safety Sensitisation session, held at the Halse Hall Great House, in the parish.
The bauxite/alumina company, Jamalco, which organised the event, also pledged some $1.4 million to sponsor 10 educational road safety signs along the Mineral Heights to Lionel Town roadway, in partnership with the National Works Agency (NWA), the Clarendon Parish Council, the Road Safety Unit of the Ministry of Transport and Works, and the police in Clarendon.
Speaking at the session, Director of the National Road Safety Unit in the Ministry of Transport and Works, Mr. Kanute Hare, called on all public transport operators to lift the quality of service they provide.
“We want to ensure that taxis are not murder weapons,” he said, and called on taxi operators to transport their passengers in a safe manner. He further cautioned them to wear their seatbelts, and to improve their driving habits.
Citing the partnership between the stakeholders, Mr. Hare said: “We are in this, because we don’t want people to be killed on our roads.” He mentioned the initiatives by the Government to introduce more road safety measures, including the installation of additional speed limit signs along the roadways.
Corporate Services and Government Affairs Manager at Jamalco, Mr. Leo Lambert, told the taxi operators that their field of work was one of the most important careers in the world.
“Every time you stop to pick up someone, you take on the responsibility for someone’s life,” he said.
Mr. Lambert spoke of the trauma associated with the tragic loss of a life and charged the taxi owners and operators to place a higher value on life.