KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Toll Authority has sought to clarify information surrounding toll access to emergency vehicles following claims that now deceased cop, Donald Carr, succumbed to injuries he sustained in a motor vehicle crash on Saturda,y because the service vehicle was denied access due to non-payment of the toll.

News reports following the policeman’s death suggest that his demise was as a result of the time officers had to wait to get approval to exit the toll.

READ: Policeman killed, female passenger injured in highway crash

In a release, the Toll Authority shared that preliminary reports from the toll operators along the North-South Highway “indicate that the vehicle which collected the injured officer and transported him to the St Ann hospital, had to pay at one toll booth but was given free access to exit at another, once the situation was explained to the attendant.”

The Authority has further indicated that their protocols dictate that an attendant “must seek approval from a supervisor in order to grant the toll exemption.”

It has however shared that the process for the latter usually takes 90 seconds and that media reports suggesting a four-hour wait time are “inaccurate”.

“It must be noted gaining access to the North-South highway is automatic for all users. A toll card is issued at the point of entry and it is only upon exit that toll payment would be required,” the statement read. “Reports in the media which stated a delay of up to four hours are therefore inaccurate.”

The release highlighted that the North-South Concession Agreement (2012) Clause 18.7 states that: “…Subject to procedures to be jointly established by the Parties, cars or other vehicles belonging to the Jamaican Emergency Services shall be exempt from the obligation to pay tolls when they are on duty”.

The Authority, which also took the time to send condolences to the family of the deceased officer, say they are in consultations with the Minister of Transport and Mining, Audley Shaw, as well as the Chairman of Authority, “to advance existing plans to expand the number of JCF service vehicles with the electronic access beyond the PSTEB Highway Patrol Unit, which currently has responsibility for monitoring the North-South Highway.”

Following Carr’s death, Chairman of the Police Federation, Corporal Rohan James, urged the Government and the toll operators of the North-South Highway to facilitate a provision that allows police officers unfettered access to the toll road.

READ: Police Federation Chairman takes Gov’t, toll operators to task over highway crash response

Despite the Jamaica Defence Force having unlimited access to the toll road, members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) have no such privilege under the Toll Road Act.