KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Jamaica Association of Transport Owners and Operators (JATOO) says after meeting with some of its members on Monday, the association has been mandated to seek further legal advice on the removal of tints from Public Passenger Vehicles (PPV).

In a news release Wednesday, JATOO argued that the decision made by the authorities is illegal and will not solve the country’s crime problem as law-abiding PPV operators are being targeted while illegal taxis will not be affected by the move.

The association said its members are “opposed to this new edict on transport” and also noted that Minister of Transport, Lester ‘Mike Henry, was off the island when the “illegal” decision, to remove tints from PPV vehicles, was made.

JATOO also said its president Louis Baron was “specifically” barred from a meeting that was held on Monday at the Transport Authority to discuss the matter.

“We therefore don’t have first-hand information on what took place. It is now two days after the meeting, yet there is no written information on what is to be done.”

As such, the association revealed that it has decided to write the minister asking for a meeting with him to get a clear understanding of the way forward.

It also said that its members “see usual shortcomings in regulating transportation by the authorities” adding that “it seems clear however that the meeting did not take the concerns of the overwhelming majority of owners and operators into consideration.

“Already transport operators who are members of other associations have been protesting this Transport Authority decision even while removing the tint from their vehicles, and we support them.”

JATOO further outlined the following as its position on the PPV tint removal issue.

1. The PPV vehicles are certified by both the Island Traffic Authority and the Transport Authority as road worthy as per the Road Traffic act. Operators get into business with a commitment/contract from the regulators. It is illegal and against natural justice for the law to be changed arbitrarily. We consider it a breach of contract.

2. We don’t agree that the removal of the agreed tint from PPV vehicles will address the crime problem. The security forces must enforce the existing laws on tint.

3. The real issue is Security for the transport sector. In 2016 alone over 35 transport operators have been killed. JATOO have made numerous attempts to have this matter addressed by the relevant authorities, but nothing was done.

4. The legal red plate operators, who are playing by the rule, that is, obeying the law, are the operators who will be targeted first in this new enforcement regime.

5. Those illegal operators will not be affected by the new rule. They operate private cars whose tint can be as dark as mid-night.

6. JATOO members will oppose the removal of the factory tint as the regulators certified these at the time of purchase of the vehicle and the granting of the PPV licenses.

JATOO, in appealing to the public to be vigilant, said it would take this issue to as far as the law allows.

“Do not to take a vehicle, which does not have a red license plate. All vehicles must allow you to see through the vehicle from one side to the other,” the association cautioned.