WESTMORELAND, Jamaica – After three days of protests by taxi operators in Westmoreland, which disrupted the start of the school year, things are beginning to calm following the intervention by two Members of Parliament in the parish.

The taxi operators have been mounting road blocks along the Savanna-la-Mar to Grange Hill road since Monday in protest over poor road conditions.

Communications Manager at the National Work Agency Stephen Shaw on Wednesday told the disgruntled cabbies that patching will be done in coming weeks.

Shaw said there is no money at present to fix that thoroughfare. However, work will be done under the $40 billion Shared Prosperity through Accelerated Improvement to our Road Network’ (SPARK) Programme that could commence next year.

“I understand the difficulty you guys are facing in terms of the roads. In the short term we have some patching works we have actually procured in the section of Glasgow to Grange Hill,” Shaw said.

The project will see the modernisation of more than 2,000 roads, according to Minister Without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Everald Warmington, and Westmoreland is slated to get $2 billion.

“As I speak your road is on the list to be constructed as part of the SPARK programme,” he confirmed.

However, the cabbies were not pleased, and demanded immediate action.

They were adamant that if they do not see immediate changes , they will continue their protest.

However, in an attempt to calm the taxi operators, Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Western Morland Wilson and MP for Westmoreland Central George Wright mobilised resources to fill the potholes with marl, work for which were ongoing up to publication time.

Against that background, cabbies have started to clear debris from the roadway.