GRANGE HILL, Westmoreland – What was supposed to be an exciting start to the new school term has turned into tears, frustration, stress, and panic for students and parents who have been severely affected by a three-day strike staged by “cabbies” who ply the Grange Hill to Savanna-la-Mar route in Westmoreland.

The disgruntled taxi operators have been protesting in an effort to get shoddy roads repaired.

On Wednesday, they initially vowed to continue even after National Works Agency (NWA) Manager for Communication and Customer Services, Stephen Shaw assured them that patching would be done within the next two to three weeks. The cabbies insisted that they want to hear from Everald Warmington, who has responsibility for the NWA as part of his role as minister without portfolio in the ministry of economic growth and job creation.

Stranded commuters are caught in the middle.

Annette Beharie, whose daughter attends Frome Technical High School, told the Jamaica Observer that her daughter is having a hard time being absent from school.

“Every day she bawl because she wants to go to school. She’s in 10 grade and she kinda a worry,” a distraught Beharie said.

She sent her daughter out on the first two days of this week only to be left disappointed when she returned soon after leaving the house each day.

“She came out Monday and Tuesday and she turn back, so I didn’t send her back on Wednesday,” said Beharie.

But while her heart breaks for her daughter, she also empathises with the cabbies and agrees that the road is badly in need of repair.

“The school just have to wait to resume until the strike ends,” Beharie told Observer West.

Another mother, whose son attends Grange Hill High School, has been struggling to balance his safety with her need to make a living.

“I want my son to go school. Me stress out right now. I have work to go and I can’t leave my child anywhere. It’s hard for me to leave my 15-year-old child alone,” said the woman, who asked not to be identified by name.

The two high schools in the area have taken a wait-and-see approach, assessing the situation daily as many of their students rely on public transportation.

Provisional principal at Frome Technical High School Dorrset Taylor spoke of the challenges faced on Monday and Tuesday.

“We had to dismiss early because we were reliably informed that they were blocking the road and some students in Savanna-la-Mar were not able to come up at all. Teachers who were in Sav who don’t drive were also unable to come up,” she said.

The school, which has a population of 1,426, welcomed a little over 100 students on Monday and about 222 on Tuesday.

Taylor said one of the main reasons for dismissing classes early was that the canteen staff was absent and the delivery truck that supplies the tuck shop was impeded by the road block. With their supply of patties and coco breads unable to get to them from Grange Hill, the tuck shop only had snacks to offer.

They have also been forced to put measures in place to avoid any further learning loss.

“We informed [parents and students] that we don’t know what would happen on Wednesday, but we have activated the Google Classroom,” said Taylor.

The cabbie strike has permeated every level of school activities. Tuesday’s scheduled DaCosta Cup match between Frome and Green Island had to be postponed. Taylor said the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) was notified.

Over at Grange Hill High School, there were no disruptions on Monday as 400 students showed up. However, the next day things took a different turn.

“For Tuesday it worsened, the thoroughfares from Hanover, Negril, and Little London were blocked. Our population was less than 200,” said Principal Trevine Donaldson-Lawrence.

“I am hoping that the organisers will reconsider and have the conversation at the table so that education can continue for the nation’s children because at this time they are our primary concern,” she appealed.

Both schools were closed on Wednesday as taxi operators used their vehicles to block the Three Miles main road, impeding the free flow of traffic.

In addition to students and teachers, other adults commuting to work were also affected. Many were late or absent as a result of the roadblocks.

President of the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce Moses Chybar said it has taken a toll on the business community.

“We fully understand the fact that the roads are bad and it’s difficult for the taxi drivers to drive on them, but at the same time one would hope that they will put an end to the strike,” he reasoned.

“The school system is under pressure. School is just reopening, so every day that a child misses school is a difficult setback,” he added.

He is appealing to the relevant authorities to act.

“It’s really for the authorities to get cracking on fixing the road and respond as best as possible. The roads are indeed bad, not just that area but right across Westmoreland,” the chamber president said.

Member of Parliament for Westmoreland Western Morland Wilson, who also expressed concern about the impact the disruption has had on students, has urged those blocking the roads to stop.

“We have heard your cries and we are working on the roadway. Work is being done in Bullstrode, George’s Plain, and the Glasgow to Grange Hill road. NWA [National Works Agency] has also indicated that funds have been allocated for patching,” he added.

On Wednesday afternoon, in an attempt to calm the taxi operators, he and MP for Westmoreland Central George Wright mobilised resources to fill the potholes with marl. Cabbies then began to clear debris from the road.