Transport Minister Mike Henry rolled back a hike in road licence fees for taxi operators after irate taximen protested in sections of Spanish Town in St Catherine yesterday.

The fees were increased by the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) from $9,000 to $64,000. The JUTC owns the franchise for the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region and set road licence rates for routes in Kingston and St Catherine where the corporation’s buses do not run.

But after meeting with representatives of the taxi operators, Henry rolled back the fees and instructed the Transport Authority to continue issuing licences for the original fee of $9,000.

Before the hastily-called meeting, the taximen’s protests caused a minor disruption of traffic flow at a section of Gordon Boulevard in Ensom city yesterday morning as the irate drivers parked their vehicles along the road

“We a go lock down Jamaica,” a taxi driver who was among a group of drivers who ply the routes, Spanish Town to Eltham and Spanish Town to Ensom City, bellowed.

Another insisted that the increase was too drastic. “We can’t manage that,” one driver, who asked to remain anonymous, said. “We a go dead fi hungry.”

Despite the protest, some taxi drivers continued to work.

This did not go down well with their colleagues and one driver was stopped and his ignition switched off when it was discovered that he was transporting passengers. But this action angered one passenger who alighted from the car ready to fight.

“Mi a go work an none a unu can stop me,” another taxi man protested.

Stacy, a commuter who watched the action, said she supported the strike, but insisted that it should have been a collective effort. “I agree with them, but everyone should strike if they doing it,” she said. “Right now, me pregnant and me want to go home, but dem say a bad man own the taxi dem weh a work and I don’t think that is fair.”

The situation was the same along Brunswick Avenue as taxi drivers who ply the Spanish Town to Angels and Spanish Town to Walks Road routes lined the street in front of the Shoppers Fair Supermarket and Total Gas Station.

Delroy William, one of many stranded commuters at the Spanish Town Municipal bus park, expressed his solidarity with the striking route taxi drivers.

“I am in full support,” he said. “Any increase at all at this time is too crucial.”