The Jamaica Association of Transport Owners and Operators (JATOO) has called on the Transport Authority to immediately desist from continuing to chase Public Passenger Vehicles (PPV) as this is causing accidents and endangering the lives of those on board.

“While we encourage operators to obey the rules and regulations of the Transport Authority and the police, the chasing and “slamming” of PPV licensed vehicles in order to apprehend those vehicles is not only extremely dangerous but is illegal,” JATOO president, Louis Barton said on Thursday.

He said that over the past week, several taxi operators have been chased and hit by Transport Authority vehicles, the most recent of which was an incident on Tuesday in the vicinity of the National Stadium.

“Operators are now restive and calling for the intervention of the minister of transport in a bid to avert any possible action by the operators which could be explosive if not addressed,” Barton said.

But Public Relations Manager at the Authority, Petra-keene Williams told the Sunday Observer that the authority has received no complaints about the incident. She said also, that Barton is “well aware” of the procedure that must be followed if JATOO has a complaint.

“We need to have the evidence to take disciplinary action,” Williams stated.

In a news release issued on Friday, the Authority reiterated that the chasing of vehicles during road operations is against the company’s policy and that the practice is neither condoned, nor an approved enforcement mechanism. “The Transport Authority’s Route Inspectors are aware of the approved enforcement methods and the policy as it relates to chasing and blocking,” the Authority said.

Just last week, JATOO accused the authority of holding on to his members’ vehicles for lengthy periods, as a means of spiting the operators. He said there was deliberate tardiness in the system regarding the setting of court dates, and said the Authority was seeking to squeeze as much as it can out of the operators, in impoundment fees.

The Authority refuted the claims. Managing Director Donald Foster said the operators were not being targeted stating that: “The financial benefits to the Authority are minimal, as the longer the vehicle remains in the pounds, the greater the cost to the authority, especially if the vehicle is auctioned. In fact, in many instances, the actual value of these vehicles is far less than the storage fees”.

He further pointed out that the traffic court can hear only so many cases, and that each is dealt with in the order in which they come before the court.

Barton said on Friday that the association is still awaiting a peaceful resolution of the issue, but could not rule out action by the operators if the matter is not dealt with swiftly.