FALMOUTH, Trelawny — The Island Traffic Authority’s (ITA’s) Falmouth Service Hub in Trelawny is expected to reopen soon, easing some of the inconvenience now faced by residents who have to travel outside the parish to get vehicles certified as road worthy or do driving tests.

“I had to come to Montego Bay to change my engine and had to register the new number and get a new fitness certificate. It was so inconvenient as it was unfamiliar territory and it was a long wait,” Trelawny resident Joseph Hamilton told the Jamaica Observer Wednesday.

Another Trelawny resident, Anthony Whyte, is still smarting from a recent trip.

“I hope that the Falmouth depot will be opened by the next time I need their services. I have to waste a whole day to beat the heavy traffic to reach Montego Bay and then the long wait at the depot. It is just too tedious,” he griped.

“Melissa throw off everything,” Whyte added, referencing last October’s hurricane.

According to the ITA, its Falmouth examination depot was badly damaged by the Category 5 storm but repairs are almost completed and they will reopen soon.

“Motorists will be advised of the official reopening date shortly,” the ITA’s Corporate Communications and Public Relations Branch said in response to questions from the Observer.

It added that, in the interim, customers in Trelawny may continue to access services at the Montego Bay and St Ann’s Bay service hubs, both of which remain fully operational. The depot in Black River, St Elizabeth, would also have been an option but it was also damaged by the hurricane.

The ITA said it will cost a combined total of approximately $58 million to repair both damaged locations, with Black River expected to take longer to get back up and running. That is because that depot suffered more extensive damage and required a more detailed assessment process to guide restoration efforts.

The ITA noted that technical assessments and development of the scope of work has already been completed, with renovation expected to begin during the current fiscal year. It also noted that structural upgrades are being considered as part of the rehabilitation plan for the Black River location, aimed at improving the building’s resilience against future natural disasters.

Customers in St Elizabeth are being directed to the Savanna-la-Mar and Mandeville service hubs while restoration works are carried out at the Black River facility.

St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, Trelawny, and St James were among the parishes most severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa. The catastrophic storm claimed at least 45 lives in Jamaica and caused an estimated $1.952 trillion (US$12.2 billion) in damage and losses — equivalent to 56.7 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product for 2024.