MORE than 200 public passenger vehicles (PPV) have been seized by the Transport Authority since the implementation of a new fare structure in June, after cabbies were found overcharging commuters and operating contrary to their licences.

The Government implemented a 16 per cent fare increase for PPV operators last month, which was rolled out in two phases. The first eight per cent took effect on June 2, 2026, and the second eight per cent bump took effect on July 1, 2026. The decision sparked national debate, with commuters expressing concern that they would be further subjected to overcharging by taxi drivers who refuse to comply with the adjustments.

In response, Transport Minister Daryl Vaz promised that all reports of overcharging would be taken seriously, with operators prosecuted.

Operations manager at the Transport Authority, Nicola Brown-Reid, in speaking with the Jamaica Observer, sought to assure Jamaicans that the promise is being kept.

“Since the second tranche, which is the updated eight per cent for July 1, there have been a few reports, but they were centred around the St Catherine area. We have mobilised the team, and some amount of operations were conducted, and we have prosecuted so far six operators for overcharging,” she disclosed.

Brown-Reid added that in June, however, when the first tranche of the increase took effect, the reports of overcharging were overwhelming.

“The issue was within the Half-Way Tree and downtown areas of the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region [KMTR]. What we realised was that the overcharging was being done by hackney carriage operators who were operating contrary to the terms of their road licences. A number of seizures had taken place of those vehicles… The offence of overcharging doesn’t apply to the hackney carriage operators; however, they were running route taxis, so we were able to seize some of those vehicles — over 200 of them — in the month of June,” she said.

Route taxis travel along a designated, fixed route, picking up and dropping off passengers along the way. A hackney carriage acts like a private charter, transporting passengers to a specific location. Route taxis have black and white chequered strips on their sides, while hackney carriage taxis feature yellow and black chequered strips.

Brown-Reid said the seizures were as a result of undercover investigations using agent provocateurs from the Transport Authority who travelled in reported vehicles to confirm if the fare paid was above what is prescribed. She said in some instances it was uncovered that students were being charged $250 on routes also operated by the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), which charges a fare of $50 for students.

She called on operators to “do the right thing”, noting that many Jamaicans are already struggling to make ends meet.

“Can you imagine a mother sending out a child with $1,000 coming from Bull Bay, you take a bus from Bull Bay downtown, and you have to take another bus to go to school again, plus you have to eat out of that $1,000, and an operator going to take $250 from you and that’s one way?

“What are we saying to the future generation as a sector? What are we saying to these children who depend on us for a service? It cannot always be about the money. It has to be more than that,” said Brown-Reid.

She said over the years the Transport Authority has tried to meet operators half-way whenever matters relating to suitable transportation hubs or fare increases arise, and they only ask that they comply with the law.

“It’s a very lucrative market that Jamaica’s economy depends on, and we cannot continue to treat it as a hustle. If you applied for a red plate it means that you made the conscious decision to abide by the rules that govern such an operation, and so we, as the authority, have to stand up on it. We will not relent in exercising what is prescribed in law to treat with these matters,” she said.

“We’re saying to the operators that we will continue to take a zero-tolerance approach for this offence. We also want to implore them that the fines can go up to $100,000 in court, and if the Transport Authority continues to prosecute you for the same offence then we can look at revoking the road licence or suspending the road licence,” she warned.

Brown-Reid further called on passengers to report all instances of overcharging to the Transport Authority.

“The information is on our social media platforms. You can go on Twitter, you can go on TikTok on the Transport Authority page, and you can go on Instagram or Facebook. Look at the fare table that concerns where you’re coming from and be guided by that, and walk with your exact change. In addition to that, report the overcharging. Don’t be afraid,” she urged.

“When you step from that vehicle, discreetly take a picture or a mental note of the registration plate and report it to the authority. When we get these reports we usually act on them. You can remain anonymous. You can also use our app, the Travelpal app, to make a report about overcharging or any other infractions that you would have witnessed while travelling in a PPV,” she added.

“We want the operations of PPV to be safe, reliable, and serve the purpose of the commuters to the fullest. The authority gives this undertaking that we will take the necessary actions when these reports are made,” she stressed.