KINGSTON, Jamaica — President of the Jamaica Association of Transport Owners and Operators (JATOO), Louis Barton, says that he was excluded from this morning’s meeting at the Transport Authority to discuss the removal of tints from all Public Passenger Vehicles (PPV) that was supposed to take effect today.

Barton told OBSERVER ONLINE that when he went to the office of the Transport Authority, where the meeting was supposed to be held, he was told by the receptionist that his name was not on the list and that she could let him in.

Saying that he knows that it was not the minister’s doing, Barton insisted that he will be writing to the Transport Authority and the Minister of Transport to find out why he was excluded.

JATOO on Friday asked the police for a suspension in the removal of tints from PPVs until this morning’s meeting.

Barton said it was expected that this meeting would give “a clear direction as to whether the tints PPV operators are presently using is legal or illegal.”

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, as part of the zero-tolerance approach to crime, said the police, assisted by the Transport Authority, would be targeting ‘robot’ (illegal) taxis as of today, and will be removing dark tints from all public passenger vehicles.

Meanwhile, an emergency press briefing on the matter has been called for 2:00 pm today at the Transport Authority.

It is to be attended by Joseph Shoucair, Chairman of the Transport Authority, SSP Calvin Allen, head of the Police Traffic Division and Ludlow Powell, Director of the Island Traffic Authority.

Racquel Porter