KINGSTON, Jamaica—Despite the announcement earlier this month by Transport Minister Daryl Vaz that Cabinet has given approval for the development of a national ride-hailing policy that will establish the foundation for a comprehensive regulatory framework necessary to guide the operations of ride-hailing in Jamaica, Opposition Spokesman on Transport Mikael Phillips remains unconvinced of the Government’s commitment to regulating the sector.

Talk of necessary oversight for the sector has ramped up since May 2024 when schoolteacher Danielle Anglin was killed after utilising a ride-sharing service.

According to Phillips, “The discovery of her remains in Salt River, Clarendon, stands as a grim indictment of this Administration’s catastrophic failure to regulate this rapidly-growing industry”.

“A full 12 months have elapsed since the Minister stood before us and solemnly pledged to enact an immediate legislative framework for ride-sharing.

“Yet, in this current session, we are met with another empty vow regarding a national policy that has allegedly received Cabinet approval—a document the Minister purports will form the bedrock for regulating Jamaica’s ride-hailing industry,” said Phillips.

He was speaking in the House of Representatives on May 13 during his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate.

“The contradiction is stark,” said Phillips, adding that: “how could a legislative promise be made a year ago when the guiding policy remained non-existent? Can we truly expect this latest framework to finally manifest into actual law?”

Phillips told the House that, “I certainly hope we are not witnessing another year of ‘sweet talking’, another cycle of hollow commitments, and a total absence of meaningful protection for the Jamaican people”.

“While the Minister slumbers on this matter of life and death, our legitimate, law-abiding operators—the dedicated members of JUTA, JACAL, and MAXI and our hackney carriage operators—are being strangled by systemic inertia,” Phillips said.

The Opposition spokesman argued that these essential stakeholders are bleeding financially because the government refuses to confront the ride-hailing crisis. “It is a disgrace and represents a complete abdication of leadership,” he stated.

He implored Vaz to “table the promised regulatory framework with urgency, so that we may debate, pass, and ultimately safeguard the lives and livelihoods of Jamaican commuters and transport investors alike”.

At the time he announced Cabinet approval of a ride-hailing policy on May 5, Vaz told the Parliament that, “Ride-hailing services remain a pressing concern for this government as we seek to modernise Jamaica’s transport sector and ensure safe, regulated, and accessible mobility for all citizens”.

He shared that a steering committee has been established to provide oversight and ensure stakeholder engagement throughout the policy development process. The next stage is to develop a policy Green Paper, Vaz said.

Vaz told the House that work is actively underway to advance the development of the Green Paper which he anticipates will be ready for tabling in Parliament in the next four months.

-Lynford Simpson