Lewis calls for permanent seizure of illegal taxis

Nadisha Hunter, Staff Reporter

Traffic Division head Senior Superintendent of Police Radcliffe Lewis is calling for laws to be enacted to support the permanent seizure of vehicles which operate illegally as taxis.

Lewis' desire has been triggered by the number of taxis plying routes belonging to the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), which continues to eat into the state-run bus company's revenue.

"A number of persons who were given hackney carriage licence are now competing fully with the JUTC buses. There are a number of these taxis, we have done all that we can and as a result they almost drive the JUTC resources aground," he argued.

Lewis said his department, in collaboration with the Transport Authority and other agencies, is looking to take aggressive measures to reduce the problem.

"I will be talking to the Transport Authority about these laws which would result in robot or PPV (public passenger vehicle) taxi, that are operating contrary to their terms of licence on the exclusive JUTC routes, that are held for three times to be permanently seized.

"That is one way, probably, we can stop the influx of these illegal operators on these routes and also I am of the opinion that too much PPV licences were granted and I am saying if they continue to violate their licence that their licence should be revoked and that may help to control them," he added.

Lewis pointed to the Half-Way Tree to Papine, downtown to Papine, Mountain View Avenue to Half-Way Tree, Spanish Town to Kingston and Portmore to Kingston routes as some of the troubled areas that must be addressed.

He also said he would be renewing his effort to stamp out dark tints on buses.

"They are putting on tints which makes the buses extremely difficult for you to see in and so in another week or so, I am going to instruct them again to remove the tints because the Transport Authority Act says that things like those must not be worn," he charged.

No relaxation

Yesterday morning, a number of police personnel flocked the streets in the Corporate Area, which includes the route from Spanish Town to Kingston, carrying out spot checks. Lewis said it was a clear indication that the police are committed to stemming illegal practices in the area.

"There must be no relaxation because, once you relax, the illegal taxis are going to take it as weakness and they are going to exploit it. So, to prevent that, we have to deal with it decisively and on a continuous basis," he added.

A report by Auditor General Pamela Monroe Ellis, tabled in Parliament last month, revealed that for the financial year 2009-2010, JUTC recorded total losses of $2.2 billion resulting in an accumulated deficit as at march 31, 2010 of $8.3 billion.

The company indicated that it has not been able to make a profit due to a number of factors, including an economic fare structure, inadequate government subvention and a preponderance of illegal transport operation within the Kingston Metropolitan Region.

nadisha.hunter@gleanerjm.com