TRANSPORT Minister Mike Henry has announced that the toll rates for the north-south link of Highway 2000, which the operators increased in April citing a shortage of coins to make change for motorists, are to be rolled back as of this weekend.

The announcement came a day after a group of Members of Parliament (MPs) said they would submit recommendations to Parliament calling on the minister to have the rates reversed.

The MPs, who sit on the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC), on Wednesday said it was unjust for the operators to maintain the rates up to September — when the company applies for its annual toll rate review — after the authorities promised the public that there would be a reversion to original rates once the central bank indicated that it could meet demand.

A letter from the Ministry of Transport and Mining, read by PAAC Chairman Dr Wykeham McNeill, clearly stated that although the Bank of Jamaica had advised that there are now normal supplies of $10 coins, and an interim supply of $20 coins, no instructions were issued for the toll operators to reverse the rates.

“We are currently in the toll rate review process as the time for effecting variations to the toll rates in line with the concession agreement is scheduled for early September 2017. It is anticipated that within the next six weeks there will be an adjustment of the rates resulting from the application of the JNSH [Jamaica North South Highway] to vary the tolls. The ministry believes that reversing the adjustments made to address the coin shortage now, to then make further changes in early December, could cause discontent within the public domain,” the letter stated.

Yesterday, Minister Henry said that having satisfied himself that the ministry is now in a position to confirm the Bank of Jamaica’s indication of an ease in the shortage of coins, and having heard the public outcry, the rates would be rolled back “as soon as the operators confirm with me that they have ease of access to coins”.

He further stated: “I am mindful that the ministry had given a commitment to the public at the time of the adjustment that, as soon as the coin shortage eased, there will be a rollback of the rates. It is my intention to honour that commitment.”

At Wednesday’s meeting of the PAAC Manchester North Western MP Mikael Phillips commented: “I would imagine the minister found himself between a rock and a hard place… seeing that there is a continued discount, which was not really what the operators wanted, so there is probably this reluctance from the ministry in asking them to adjust.”

Last September the operators decided to forgo an increase in toll rates, having removed the 25 per cent discount which the Government negotiated with parent company China Communications Construction Company in March after strong public outcry over the rates that were introduced with the opening of the highway.

The current rates range between $80 and to $3,700, which means that it costs some motorists close to $8,000 for a round trip between Caymanas, St Catherine, and Mammee Bay in St Ann.

Under the 50-year concession agreement the toll operators are entitled to rate adjustments in September of each year.

In the meantime, Phillips, who is Opposition spokesman on transport, welcomed the announced rollback last night, saying good sense has prevailed.

He said, however, that it is unfortunate that the Andrew Holness-led Administration had to be pressured into doing what is right for the Jamaican people.

“It cannot be that the people of this country cannot hold the Government to their word, the minister cannot impose a permanent increase after promising a temporary one… ” Phillips said.

According to Phillips, Henry, who said the increase would have been temporary, had an obligation to the travelling public to roll back the charges immediately as the coin shortage had eased.