KINGSTON, Jamaica— Opposition Spokesman on Transport, Mikael Phillips, has accused the Transport Authority (TA) of contributing to what he calls the “chaos and lack of order” in the public transport sector.

Phillips made the accusation Tuesday during his contribution to the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate at Gordon House. He said the sector “continues to deteriorate consistently and rapidly due to poor policies, burdensome taxation, and flouting of the legislative and regulatory framework established for the industry’s proper management and operational safety”. 

“The Transport Authority which is responsible for regulating the sector under the 1987 Act is not ‘regulating with vision’ as its slogan says. The Act needs amendment, and its operations are at variance with what is taking place on the ground,” Phillips asserted.

He said the Authority had been reduced to “just issuing licenses, stipulating origin and destination points and attempting enforcement,” rather than using its research capacity and data to drive Government policy for the sector while increasing efficiency. 

“They are not even determining whether there is adequate space for drop off, pick up or waiting for the operators and passengers. These so-called bus/taxi parks are owned by the municipal corporations and bear no relationship to the number of commuters. It is causing severe overcrowding in our towns with the TA having no influence,” Phillips said. 

“In that chaos, the TA prosecutes taxi drivers who are parked in no-parking areas, as the bus park is overflowing,” he added. 

The Opposition spokesman said there is disconnect in the management of the public transport sector caused by the lack of foresight.

Continuing, he said: “We must deal with this issue of adequate parking in town centres and it requires more collaboration between the TA and the municipal corporations. Collecting licence fees and imposing arbitrary $10,000 late charges cannot be all the regulatory body is about, in this huge and important industry. Quick action is needed as the operational and financial crises which now afflict the sector are leading it into certain bankruptcy”.

Phillips said the time has come for a thorough policy evaluation, viability, and sustainability study of the public transport sector.

He warned that “failure to act now will undoubtedly result in continuing financial losses and a chaotic operating environment which is worse than the post-JOS (Jamaica Omnibus Service) era of the (1970s and) 1980s when the ‘lick shot’ mentality ruled the roost”. 

Phillips said the study must examine the co-existence of a major transit company (Jamaica Urban Transit Company) sharing the same operating space with taxis providing stage carriage services and complicated by illegal operators providing the same service. 

“The study must provide answers to avoid chaotic operations and plot a road map for each player to find reward from a cost-effective, disciplined, regulated environment,” he said.