ST CATHERINE, Jamaica — Taxi operators who ply the Portmore to Spanish Town route on Thursday staged a protest along the Bernard Lodge main road, in the vicinity of Lime Tree Grove, complaining over what they say are worsening road conditions.

One operator, Delroy Nelson, said the roadway between Spanish Town and Naggo Head has been steadily deteriorating and continues to impact drivers financially.

Drivers traversing deteriorating roadway between Spanish Town and Naggo Head (Photo: Llewellyn Wynter)

“This road is very, very bad and getting worse by the day,” he said, adding that promises made by the government to fix the road following the last election have not been fulfilled.

Nelson also pointed to the high cost of maintaining vehicles due to the poor road surface.

“Now this road is causing us an arm and a leg in the deterioration of our vehicle,” he said.

Drivers traversing deteriorating roadway between Spanish Town and Naggo Head (Photo: Llewellyn Wynter)

Civilians look on following protest over deteriorating roads (Photo: Llewellyn Wynter)

He further expressed frustration over enforcement actions by authorities despite the condition of the road, noting that operators are frequently penalised while being forced to carry out repairs almost daily.

The protest, he said, was aimed at getting the attention of government representatives responsible for the constituency.

“We want to reach the ears of the government… we would like the roads to be fixed. There are many passengers, many commuters that travel this road every day. It’s a major thoroughfare,” Nelson added.

During the demonstration, Senior Superintendent of Police Hopton Nicholson and a team from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF)  were on location, warning protesters not to block the roadway.

They were advised to protest peacefully along the side of the road and to engage their political representatives. Nicholson also warned that anyone who continued to block the road could face arrest.