THE government yesterday announced a 33 per cent taxi fare increase, but also introduced tighter regulations for the public transport sector in order to reduce the number of passenger abductions.>

As of next Monday, route taxis will charge $35 for adults, up from about $25; and $25 for children, students in uniform, the disabled and senior citizens, up from $15-$20.

And rural stage carriages (which run between parishes) will increase their fares by 35 per cent to $13.50 plus $1.80 per additional kilometre — children and the disabled will pay half price. This means that the adult fare from Kingston to Buff Bay will increase by $35 to $100, while a Kingston to Morant Bay trip will increase by $30 to $110. There has been a $15 increase in fares from Montego Bay to Hopewell, which will now cost $65; while fares from Ocho Rios to Moneague will increase by $25 to $75.

Last month, taxi operators threatened to strike if the transport ministry did not allow them an increase. There was no standard fare set before yesterday’s announcement and operators used to independently push up their rates to coincide with movements in bus fares.

“This level of increase should improve their economic viability. We recognise that they need to be able to make a living,” said Transport Minister Robert Pickersgill at a press and stakeholders briefing at the Hilton Hotel, Kingston.

But effective November 1, 2003 the Transport Authority will require a background check, along with the driving offences of all public passenger drivers and conductors renewing their certification. This will be provided by the police.

Drivers and conductors must also submit:

* a certified copy of their birth certificate;

* a medical report on a prescribed form from a medical officer; and

* two passport-sized photos certified within the last six months by a Justice of the Peace, police officer not below the rank of inspector, attorney-at-law or minister of religion.

Currently, renewal requires only character references and a valid public passenger vehicle driver’s licence.

“Measures are now being put in place that will help to protect commuters and the interest of the law-abiding operators by eliminating persons with a history of violence, sexual perversion, drug or alcohol abuse, aggressive driving tendencies and other forms of anti-social behaviour,” Pickersgill said.

The new measures are in response to the brutal slaying of 12 year-old Janealle Blair, who was last seen boarding a taxi on July 14. The child’s body was found six days later in bushes at Salt Spring, Clarendon, with multiple stab wounds. Since her death, there have been other abductions and abduction attempts in taxis.

Despite falling short of the 45 per cent fare hike it had requested, the National Association of Taxi Operators said it was satisfied with yesterday’s fare increase, which was agreed upon by the Office of Utilities Regulation, the Transport Authority and the transport minister.