KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Transport Authority and the Ministry of Transport have agreed to pause the seizure of public passenger vehicles operating outside of the terms of their hackney carriage licenses until the authority assesses certain routes in Kingston.

Noting that the meeting was well attended, Ralston Smith, managing director at the Transport Authority, explained: “They (taxi drivers) are concerned about the actions of the authority and the police in respect of seizing their vehicles for operating contrary to the terms of their licence.”

He continued, “A lot of them are operating in hackney carriage licences, and they are asking the minister and the authority to consider their application for a route taxi licence on some of these routes.”

Smith said the authority was not adverse to considering this.

He noted, however, that it requires conversation and assessment of the routes and collaboration with the JUTC.

The managing director said the authority will conduct research about the load factor on each route, the travelling pattern of the route.

It will also assess the number of vehicles, whether by way of Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), sub-franchise licences, or other types of services, then determine how the request of the operators can be accommodated.

Minister of Transport Daryl Vaz told Observer Online he is hopeful that a proposal will reach him within a week to be signed off on.

“I ordered a meeting to be held between the JUTC and transport authority to take a look at the entire KMTR and see where the gaps are and come back to me with a proposal so that we can regularise especially some of those routes that are either underserved or not served at all now,” he explained.

Egerton Newman, president of Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services (TODSS) praised the operators and the authority for the disciplined and orderly meeting.

Acknowledging that the issues will take some time to iron out, Newman said the authority had agreed to relax activities as long as operators are in compliance of the requirements to operate.

“So the operators over here will be able to go back to work to operate and their vehicles will not be seized until the next few days when the JUTC and the transport authority have an agreement presented to the minister,” he said.

The taxi operators, for their part, have pledged to submit to the Transport Authority’s Driver Training and Badge program and be ‘model operators’ as they transport commuters.

Additionally, route leaders will be established on each route who will liaise with the Transport Authority.

(Video: Llewllyn Wynter)