LUCEA, Hanover — Mayor of Lucea Sheridan Samuels has refuted claims that taxi operators were shut out of talks to open a branch of a fast food chain within the Lucea Transportation Centre.

“Councillor [for the Lucea Division, Easton] Edwards and myself… met with the taxi operators using our transport centre about the matter of Burger King being there. And I must announce that the taxi operators — unlike what was reported before — do not have any problem with Burger King being placed in that section of the transport centre where they are,” said the mayor.

He was addressing the regular monthly general meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) on Thursday.

Last month, vice-president of the Lucea Taxi Association Lincoln Croll told the Jamaica Observer that taxi operators had been left out of the loop.

“This is a municipal park. So, I don’t see why you are going to push us away now for development,” he argued then, saying he was hoping Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie would intervene.

The majority of the councillors at the HMC are members of the Opposition People’s National Party.

Croll had complained that the HMC failed to have dialogue with cabbies before signs, on October 12, of preparation being done for the planned development.

“We, as a taxi association, have been using the park for how many years… and we have no knowledge of any development in the park. We just saw people come and marking out and fencing up the park and saying Burger King a cum tuh take ova. This is total madness,” he said.

However, during a meeting held after his comments in an Observer article, taxi operators were assured that Burger King plans to place a mobile unit in the transport centre, leaving the bulk of the space available for public passenger vehicles.

During Thursday’s sitting of the HMC, Mayor Samuels argued that — coming out of the meeting with cabbies — the only concern raised was the haphazard parking of private passenger vehicles in the park. He said the problem was not new.

“Persons from the outside just come in and park vehicles in the lane that the taxi operators are using to do their business,” stated Samuels.

He said he will be asking the administrative arm of the corporation to look into the matter.

Samuels also revealed that some individuals are abusing the facility, leaving vehicles parked for up to two days and paying the minimal fee of $100. He insisted that this must stop.