Taxi Operators to Get Car Park in Discovery Bay

The Transport Authority (TA) has partnered with the St. Ann Municipal Corporation to construct a car park in Discovery Bay for taxi operators.

It is specifically being built for taxi operators plying the routes Discovery Bay to Falmouth, Discovery Bay to Browns Town, Discovery Bay to Runaway Bay, Discovery Bay to Farm Town, Discovery Bay to St. Ann’s Bay, and the surrounding areas.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet press briefing held at Jamaica House on April 9, Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz, said the facility will serve as a main terminal point for more than 250 taxis operating in that area.

“The land that is going to be utilised was gifted to the St. Ann Municipal Corporation by Noranda Bauxite, and based on engineering and construction estimates, a little under $10 million will be the cost. This will be a partnership among the Transport Authority, the St. Ann Municipal Corporation and Noranda,” Mr. Vaz said.

“Up to recently, a stoplight was erected right in Discovery Bay by the gas station at that intersection, which was a death trap, and those of you who travel that route would know that the taxis were parked in every plaza and every gas station and on the roads all around there because, in fairness, they had nowhere else to go,” he added.

The Minister informed that the land has already been transferred, and plans are now in the final stages to erect the facility.

Meanwhile, he said the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) has agreed with the Transport Authority to convert the South Parade car park into a taxi park.

“The facility will help in alleviating the chronic traffic congestion in downtown Kingston, and some amount of retrofitting is required and the authorities are working collaboratively to identify sources of funding,” Mr. Vaz said.

Meanwhile, the Transport Authority and the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) have finalised the conversion of 11 JUTC routes to route-taxi routes.

Mr. Vaz informed that during the licensing period, the Authority has commenced accepting applications for the routes to allow hackney carriage operators to convert to route taxis and provide legitimate service along these routes.

This will also remove the element of conflict with the authorities and the risk of associated prosecution and seizure of vehicles for operating contrary to their road licences, provide for the attachment of an approved fare structure for these routes and provide a reliable means of transport for the travelling public.

The Minister informed that applications opened in March and that the steering committee had also requested of the JUTC an additional 12 routes for taxis.

“It’s approved and the KSAMC is exploring parking arrangements at the Pechon Street Transportation Centre. These 12 additional routes that are under consideration for hackney operators who have been providing public transportation service on these routes for some time now… will ensure that the taxi operators have the right to an appropriate fee structure,” Mr. Vaz said.