KINGSTON, Jamaica— President of the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services (TODSS), Egeton Newman is calling on Minister of Energy, Science and Technology, Daryl Vaz, and the Transport Authority to address the vexed issue of how licensed Public Passenger Vehicles (PPVs) are seized while on the job by towing companies.

“Enough is enough. We are calling on the Transport Authority to immediately publish a list of approved wrecking companies and the price to be charged,” stated Newman.

Besides, Newman informed Observer Online that in 2019, former Minister of Transport, Robert Montague had put an end to what he deemed as the superfluous wrecking of vehicles but that was allegedly reversed without consultation with stakeholders by Audley Shaw who succeeded him.

“In 2019, Robert Montague, former Minister of Transport, ordered the police and the transport authority not to seize PPV licenses except for special reasons,” stated Newman.

“We are calling for the regulation of Robert Montague to be reinstated to allow PPV not to be wrecked with conditions,” Newman requested.

The head of TODSS asserted that the newly appointed Minister Vaz, had communicated to the industry that this matter is currently undergoing active review. Nonetheless, Newman emphasised the pressing urgency of time.

“We will not sit by and allow our hard-earned investments to run underground. We insist that we are relentless in our efforts to put a stop to this, it cannot be allowed to continue and we will not allow it to continue,” Newman stressed.

Anthony Lewis