KINGSTON, Jamaica — Taxi operators across the island  have been placed in a “wait and see” mode following an announcement by Transport Minister Daryl Vaz of his commitment to meeting with toll operators to explore the possibility of providing a special concessionary fee for Public Passenger Vehicle (PPV) Operators.

Vaz, who was speaking at a press conference at the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre in St Andrew on Monday, to address the issue of an unfulfilled 16 per cent fare increase for operators, said the suggestion was brought to his attention by the Transport Authority and will be addressed by June.

“I want to give you a commitment that I’m going to pursue in June, a negotiation with the toll operators to see whether or not we can come up with some concessionary toll fee for the public transport operators who apply those routes on a daily basis and sometimes several times for the day,” Vaz said, adding that toll operators have a concession with the government.

“We are always looking at how to help the public transport sector. We have opened up routes that JUTC had that they were not servicing. We’re doing all kinds of things to see how we can help the public transport operators,” he said.

However despite this reassurance by Vaz, President of the Southern Taxi Operation, Charles Powell argued that the transport sector is often neglected and does not profit much.

“The Minister of Transport, does not recognise and respect the transport sector. If they respect the transport sector, they will do something for us. This is the only sector the government doesn’t look out for. They push us away. If you check the maintenance cost of a vehicle, it is a loss, not a win win,” Powell told the Observer Online.

He added that while the concessionary grant would be good for some operators, the wider sector will not benefit and as such should not be a focus right now.

“What we want is the 16 per cent increase where we have signed off on with a written agreement from 2023. Few taxi operators and bus people use the toll. So, you are not going to help the vast majority of operators, only a few. So, I am not with that….. But it is good for who is using the toll,” Powell argued.

Another president declined to comment on the matter, signaling that he is awaiting the outcome of Cabinet’s decision, on June 1.

Highlighting that there are several specific discount programmes designed to lower daily travel costs across the island’s major highways, Vaz added that he is confident that a discount for transport operators based on their usage which outweighs that of private operators and businesses, could be argued.

“I think that will go a far way in easing some of the burdens and the stresses that the public transport operators are facing… I just want to indicate that I’m very well aware of the challenges that you are facing,” he said.