WESTMORELAND, Jamaica – Frome Technical High had to dismiss classes early on Monday as many teachers and students were left stranded on the road after disgruntled taxi operators mounted a road block on a section of the Savanna-la-Mar to Grange Hill road.

WATCH: Students stranded in Sav as cabbies protest

The cabbies are protesting the poor condition of the road.

Provisional principal Dorrset Taylor told OBSERVER ONLINE that the academic and administrative staff were gravely impacted.

“[When I heard] I contacted the police, I contacted teachers then calls came in from teachers to say they were unable to traverse the area to come in,” Taylor said.

Taylor noted that the decision was made to suspend classes early as the canteen staff was absent and the tuckshop was without food.

“We decided to put some plans in action, however… one of the problem was that there was no cooking. So if students were here they wouldn’t be able to access food,” she reasoned.

“Those [students] that were here we had to take charge of them. So out teachers have registered them were now sending messages to the parents that we are sending them back home because we’ve heard that they will go back [cabbies] in the day and we want our students to be safe,” she added.

The school’s usual dismissal time is 3:00pm.

The cabbies used garbage, fallen trees and old appliances to block the road. When OBSERVER ONLINE went on scene there was a heavy police presence in the area.

– Kimberley Peddie