IF Portmore were to become a parish, there would be need for an overhaul of the existing transportation system, according to the Ministry of Transport and Mining.

“For a high demand space such as Portmore, the need for efficient public transport vehicles, incentivising private vehicle operators to purchase electric vehicles, park-and-ride systems, as well as high-occupancy vehicle mechanisms should all be prioritiesd,” Dawn Smith Fagan, the ministry’s chief technical director (Acting), told the joint select committee (JSC) yesterday.

“This is necessary to assist in combating the energy, time and environmental degradation occasioned by vehicles waiting in traffic daily, in order to leave or enter Portmore,” she continued.

Smith Fagan was presenting the ministry’s position on the enabling demands on the dormitory community’s transport system if it were to become Jamaica’s 15th parish.

The ministry’s submission noted that, over the past year, the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) has been testing compressed natural gas (CNG) on five of its buses on the Portmore to Kingston route (12A), with the ultimate goal of reducing the fuel use and cost for the company over time.

She said that there are plans to increase the number of buses in the fleet utilising CNG to 25 buses, given initial indications of success from the pilot. On average, a person travelling to Portmore from Kingston will take two-three hours to get there during peak hours, despite the 13 km or 20-minute distance.

The ministry said that, while road construction and maintenance are not primarily within its purview, public-passenger transportation and road safety are intertwined with the road network. While the road surface throughout the area is relatively good, transportation network planning and roadway expansion will be necessary in certain areas to reduce congestion, as well as to accommodate non-motorised traffic better.

The infrastructure will need to accommodate articulated buses, increased bus stops and lay-by areas.

This expansion to the roadways should be developed with the implementation of priority lanes for buses and high-occupancy vehicles (HOVs) in mind. Adequate sidewalks, guard rails, road signs and markings and traffic calming measures should also be incorporated. This will ensure that road safety issues are not compromised at the behest of solely moving motor vehicles, in light of the fact that Jamaica is an ardent supporter of global road safety protocols.

It said that improvement to public transportation facilities within the area will be needed to meet increasing demand occasioned by population growth and demographic changes.

However, the two main public transport facilities in Portmore — the Naggo Head Transport Centre and the Portmore Mall Transport Centre — are inadequate.

Plans for the Portmore Transportation Hub (PTH) were advanced on the basis of enhancing public transportation throughout the Portmore area, and improving its linkages with downtown Kingston and Half-Way-Tree. The PTH is proposed to be located at the Portmore Town Centre. The project has been placed on hold, subject to resolution of financial challenges.

With Portmore also being accessible by sea and train, the ministry says it has given consideration to the possibility of having ferry service from Portmore via Port Royal to Kingston, and train service linking the Spanish Town and Gregory Park area to downtown Kingston to the community to take the burden off the primary mode of travelling to Portmore.

The development of a port facility and train line rehabilitation will be necessary to accommodate these modes of travel and movement of goods and industrial materials for its residents.

While Portmore is currently being served by the JUTC, its sub-franchisees and route taxis, the numbers of route and licensed operators have grown significantly over the years. Portmore has seen an increase from six to 10 in the number of routes, and from 50 to 684 in the number of licensed route operators over the last 10 years.

But with the proposed restoration of the rail service (linking the Spanish Town and Gregory Park area to downtown Kingston) and a ferry service from Portmore via Port Royal to Kingston, this demand for transportation in Portmore would benefit from a facility such as the PTH to allow for cohesive, integrated management of the different modes.

The ministry says it supports the proposal for Portmore to become Jamaica’s 15th parish.

“It is the view of this ministry that in advancing consideration on this matter, the basic aforementioned infrastructural needs should be addressed,” the ministry submitted.

“In the main, they do not serve to preclude the designation of parish status, but would ensure that the parish is endowed with the necessities to best serve its population. Safety must be an important component with respect to the modes of transportation and there is a need to incentivise citizens to transport themselves in a more environmentally friendly manner,” the ministry said.