St James cabbies split over protest
MONTEGO BAY, St James — While some cab drivers briefly withdrew their service in some sections of St James on Monday and attempted to discourage passengers from boarding, others flatly refused to be part of a strike called to nudge the Government into providing an amnesty on traffic tickets.
“I don’t understand why it reach this point because for me, if I get a ticket, I try to pay it on time,” said one taxi operator who asked not to be identified by name. “I’m not saying I can’t get a ticket, but if I get one I try to put down a little money each day, if it’s a big ticket. Because I can’t bother with the court thing.”
President of the St James Taxi Association Deon Chance distanced himself and his members from the strike which was heavily felt in the Corporate Area.
“They had the option of paying the ticket or go to court, so [this is] blatant disregard for the system. How I can I instruct my men to be a part of this?” he argued.
“I know that there might be a few persons who would want to have empathy, but from a leadership perspective, we have to know when we cross the line and we have to draw the line here. So whether we have empathy, at this time we can’t afford to support anything like that because it’s outside of the rule of law, and once you run afoul of the law there are consequences,” Chance told the Jamaica Observer.
He argued that it was mainly hackney carriage operators — whose licence allow for picking up passengers for an agreed fare but were instead operating as route taxis — who had amassed a large number of tickets.
“How can I ask the person who is abiding by the law and the rules to go and support people who have decided, in their own right, that they are going down that road?” he said.
Throughout the day on Monday, it was largely business as usual for taxi operators in St James.
There were reports that some operators had withdrawn their service in Lilliput, John’s Hall, and a few other sections of the parish. There were also reports that some operators who stayed off the job briefly attempted to disrupt service being provided by their peers. This was short-lived as the police intervened.
