Transport Authority Targets Indisciplined Bus and Taxi Operators

The Transport Authority will be undertaking a number of initiatives to improve the safety of persons, who travel on public passenger vehicles, including prosecuting bus drivers and taxi operators, who expose passengers to obscene language and obscene material.
Minister of Housing, Transport, Water and Works, Robert Pickersgill, who made the announcement at a press conference held today (Aug. 30) at his Maxfield Avenue offices, said that, “those who are caught drinking alcohol, playing loud music from a radio or DVD compact disc, behaving in a disorderly manner, impeding passengers who are school children, elderly and physically incapacitated; impeding passengers from entering public passenger vehicles, will also be prosecuted”.
“Operators of public passenger vehicles: you will be prosecuted and you run the risk of having your licence revoked for failure to comply with the laws and regulations governing these operations. Illegal activities and indiscipline will not be tolerated,” he warned.
The Minister also appealed to parents and teachers to encourage students to avoid taking illegal taxis and buses. “Be careful in their choice of public passenger vehicles,” he advised.
“Avoid those (vehicles) that are heavily tinted, playing loud music or showing videos, those that fail to stop at designated bus stops and stop signs and those with bus crews that are unkempt, loud, and vulgar and with conductors riding on steps,” he added.
The Transport Minister explained that these measures, which would be focused on the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR), comes on the heels of the launch of Operation Restoration, in July of this year. He said that more than 656 prosecutions were made in the KMTR under the programme last month.