KINGSTON, Jamaica – Opposition Spokesman on Transport, Mikael Phillips, has criticised the Ministry of Transport and the Transport Authority for their lack of a national plan to address parking issues in town centres across the island.

According to Phillips, this has contributed to severe congestion, particularly in areas like Papine Square in St Andrew, where taxi operators and commuters struggle with inadequate parking facilities.

Phillips commented on the matter last Friday while touring Papine Square at the invitation of the People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for St Andrew Eastern, Patricia Duncan Sutherland. During the tour, he observed first-hand the congestion affecting transportation in the area.

“The issue of parking is the main issue, which causes just a general congestion in the town centres,” Phillips said,  adding that despite the continued issuance of taxi licences, there has been no coordinated effort to create designated parking spaces for operators.

Phillips also questioned the Government’s broader approach to transportation, highlighting the expansion of Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) routes into rural areas and the lack of a clear national plan for integrating various modes of transportation. He pointed out that while licences are being granted for JUTC routes, the lack of proper parking spaces prevents their full implementation.

As a temporary measure to ease congestion in Papine, Phillips suggested:

-Utilising the lay-by behind the JUTC bus stop for taxi operators to pick up and drop off passengers.

-Better management of the Market Road area, where space could be optimised to accommodate both vendors and transportation operators.

While acknowledging that medium and longterm solutions would require collaboration with the municipal Morporations and the National Works Agency (NWA), Phillips stressed the immediate need for better parking solutions.

He also criticised the Transport Authority and the police for issuing tickets to operators forced to park illegally due to the absence of designated parking areas.

“The Transport Authority would not have provided enough parking, but yet still, between the Transport Authority and the police, operators are being ticketed for parking on the streets,” he noted.

Phillips emphasised that while the PNP does not yet have all the answers, the party was engaging with transportation stakeholders to develop solutions for when it returns to Government.