Kingston, Jamaica— Opposition Spokesman on Transport, Mikael Phillips, is once again laying the blame for the shambolic state of Jamaica’s public transportation system squarely at the feet of the Transport Authority.

He pointed the finger at the regulatory body on May 13, during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.
“Consider the sheer absurdity of doubling taxi licenses from 13,963 in 2016 to nearly 28,000 in 2025, while providing no meaningful parking facilities or logistical support,” said Phillips.

He argued that, “This is the very height of governmental negligence, a move that effectively mandates the congestion and systemic indiscipline now choking every major town centre across this nation”.

The Opposition spokesman said he was not an advocate of indiscipline in the public transport sector, but insisted that, “we must recognise some of the contributory factors”.
He told the Parliament that for several years the country has been promised the tabling of legislation to amend the Transport Authority Act, “yet we are still waiting”.

“This prolonged delay is yet another clear example of this Administration’s legislative lethargy and its persistent failure to deliver on meaningful reform,” said Phillips. He provided data which showed that in 2016, 1,600 Hackney carriage licences were issued in the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR); 363 Route taxi licences were issued in the KMTR; and 12,000 Route taxi licences were issued islandwide.

In 2025, there were 5,200 Hackney carriage operators and 2,466 Route taxis in the KMTR. There were also 20,275 Route taxis islandwide.

“When you examine these numbers, a staggering 225 per cent explosion in Hackney carriage licenses within the KMTR over nine years, together with a 168 per cent surge in Route taxis islandwide, it reveals the gravity of the crisis,” said Phillips.

“The Transport Authority is merely a cash cow with no interest in quality service,” he remarked.

He pointed out that the licences have increased with no additional parking infrastructure, no rationalisation of the existing system, and no coherent plan for public transport.

“It is no wonder that what we witness daily is chaos and mayhem in every town across Jamaica, where both operators and commuters are crammed into cars as if it were the Middle Passage, relegating them to second-class status”.

Phillips told the House that, “I will not dwell upon the escalating confrontations between law enforcement and transport operators. These skirmishes frequently endanger our commuters while projecting an image of public disorder and anarchy”.
He reiterated that, “Much of this systemic chaos is a direct consequence of the clear deficit in parking infrastructure. It is the government’s fault because the Road Traffic Regulations cannot be fairly enforced in such an environment,” he said.