KINGSTON, Jamaica— Transport Minister Daryl Vaz is imploring Opposition Spokesman on Transport, Mikael Phillips to reconsider his decision of withdrawing from the Transport Sector Committee over comments that he was involved in the decision-making process to increase fares by 35 per cent.

“I am saying to my colleague, transport spokesperson that I am well aware as a veteran politician that some things are beyond your control and with a leader-centric party system that we operate what the leader says goes, and what the leader wants goes but I invite you to rethink your position,” Vaz said Tuesday afternoon.

Phillips’ decision to withdraw stemmed from Vaz responding to criticisms from Opposition Leader Mark Golding regarding the way the fare increase is being implemented. However Vaz responded to Golding stating that the transport spokesperson was aware of all the discussions related to the fare increase before it came into effect on October 15, 2023.

However Phillips rebutted this claim in a media release stating that he had advised the transport minister that the Opposition would not be a part of deliberations on fares.

“I, therefore, was not a part of the sub-committee which made the recommendation for a 35 per cent fare increase in two stages of 19 per cent on October 15, 2023, and a compounded 16 per cent on April 1, 2024”, Phillips said.

In response, Vaz is urging Phillips to return to the table to discuss this recent disagreement between the parties, while inviting the transport spokesperson to continue to work together to attain further success within the sector.

“Nothing that has been said cannot be discussed among big men, leaders of this country and stand up so that we can continue to work together to make sure that we get the successes that we so badly need, that we should have had a long time ago with a cohesive, disciplined, orderly, respectful transportation system, particularly public transportation,” the transport minister said.

“There is so much that we have done in the few months, there is so much more to do and this will be a black eye to all our attempts to get a non-partisan public transportation policy with all hands on deck to retake the streets of Jamaica,” Vaz added.