WATCH: Bus and taxi operators vote to withdraw service on Monday
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Bus and taxi operators will be off the job on Monday, following a meeting at the Half Way Tree Primary School where they voted in favour of the strike action in pursuit of a traffic ticket amnesty from Government.
The meeting on Sunday, which was delayed by more than an hour due to a heavy downpour, began at around 4:15 pm with all but one member of the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services (TODDS) voting in favour of strike action.
The operators are demanding the amnesty out of frustration over the more punitive road traffic ticketing system and the threat of being carted off to jail by cops because of unpaid tickets, many of which, the cabbies believe, were issued unfairly.
READ: Taxi operators warn of strike action on Monday if demand for ticket amnesty is not met
President of the lobby group, Egeton Newman noted that despite a recent conversation with the Minister of Information, Robert Morgan, the government has not given a clear indication as to whether the calls for an amnesty would be granted.
“I spoke to the minister for information this evening, he’s expecting a report from several agencies. But as I said to him, sir, what I need to hear from you is whether or not we are getting an amnesty. He did not respond to that,” said Newman
“I would want, make it be known, for you to be able to get an amnesty and you go home tonight and get a good sleep and go work some money. But it is clear from this meeting this afternoon you are willing to withdraw your service in a pronouncement that the government needs to address you with an amnesty,” Newman added.
Newman went on to note that he felt it was unfair that the government was willing to facilitate a gun amnesty but not one for taxi and bus operators.
“You can give the gunman amnesty to carry in the gun and you can’t give the taxpayers, taximan, busman an amnesty; who are willing to pay their tickets, all they want is a payment plan,” Newman said.
Newman further revealed that operators would be staging demonstrations across the island until their plight is addressed; hinting that the strike could potentially last more than a day.
In addition to the vote to withdraw their services, several operators used the forum to chide Transportation Minister Audley Shaw, noting that since the resignation of the former minister, Robert Montague, they have felt neglected.
