WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — Taxi drivers in Negril took to the Norman Manley Boulevard on Saturday to protest the installation of new speed bumps, which they say are damaging their vehicles.

“Yesterday I went to my mechanic to fix my rack and pinion for $25,000. When him pull it down him seh, ‘You nuh have no strut. You want two strut?’ Mi tired a it,” said one taxi driver who opted not to give his name.

The cabbies told OBSERVER ONLINE they had no problem with speed bumps installed a few months ago on the boulevard, but new ones put in Saturday morning were making the road difficult to use.

“When they implemented it the first time we were okay. We understand and work with it. Now this morning they come back and they are tripling it up on us,” another driver said.

The bumps are a way to force motorists to reduce their speed.

President of the Negril Chamber of Commerce, Richard Wallace, said he was aware of the long-standing issue of speeding in Negril and he agrees that something needs to be done, but he believes there has to be another solution that works for everyone.

“I understand the taxi men’s plight. They [speed bumps] are horrendous. They are not comfortable for anybody to drive on, including me. I traverse the strip many times per day and it’s an issue for us. But, having said that, I will say that it is working because it is slowing down traffic,” Wallace said.

“I was only informed that they were going to be installed few days before [they were put in]. I don’t know what the best solution is, I’ll leave that up to the professionals but there needs to be a solution to the problem,” he added.

He also urged taxi drivers to attend Chamber meetings where their voices can be heard.

Daina Davy