Transport Authority Head Calls for Sector Collaboration

Managing Director of the Transport Authority, Mr. Ralston Smith is calling for greater collaboration within the transportation sector, to find the most efficient and productive model for service delivery.

“Among the things that we should do, is to accelerate the decarbonisation of the entire transport sector to reduce our carbon footprint and promote efficiency that supports climate change,” Mr. Smith said.

“We must seek to upgrade and modernize our fleet. We should examine our age limit policy and research the practicality of electric vehicles for our sector,” he added.

The Managing Director was speaking at the Transport Authority’s Transportation Conference 2023, which was held at the University of the West Indies Regional Headquarters in Mona, St. Andrew on June 15.

Mr. Smith also urged investors and sector leaders to conduct research and make submissions to the relevant arms of Government to incentivise clean transport options, including standards and tax relief.

He pointed out that public transportation is more than a social good, which satisfies the need for the moving commuters.

“It is an interconnected web that facilitates the movement of people, goods, and services for the advancement of the society,” he said, adding that it affects every area of the society and the economy.

The Conference which was held under the theme “Modernizing Public Transportation for a Sustainable Future” provided a platform for stakeholders to analyse the public transportation sector and make recommendations for improvements and development for a sustainable future of the sector in Jamaica.