George Henry, Gleaner Writer
THE SPALDINGS police were in a no-nonsense mood on Christmas Eve as far as parking for public passenger vehicles was concerned. From as early as 7 a.m., a team of officers from the police station in that small rural town led by sub-officer in charge of that facility, Sergeant Raymond Walker, were busy manning traffic.
However, the police were forced to issue traffic tickets as people began positioning racks for the parking of taxis and minibuses which ply the various routes out of that fast developing Clarendon town.
According to Sergeant Walker, the police made arrangements to have taxis and minibuses plying routes such as Sanguinetti, Ritches, Cumberland, Frankfield and Sunberry operate from a playing field near to the police station. Those which ply routes such as Santa Hill, Alston and Cave Valley should operate out of the entertainment centre to the north of the town, while those who operate routes such as Christiana and Mandeville should pick up and let passengers off in the recently constructed transportation centre.
But, according to Sergeant Walker, several of the transport operators refused to comply and because there were not sufficient police personnel to supervise the makeshift transport areas, a breakdown in the arrangements emerged.
TRAFFIC CONTROL
"We had asked the transport operators plying the different routes to operate out of the areas assigned but because we are short-staffed, we are not able to see to it that there is 100 per cent compliance. As a result I had to ask all taxi and mini-bus operators to use the transport centre," said Sergeant Walker.
Checks by The Gleaner throughout the day showed that some unruly transport operators, including illegal operators, who wanted to get quick passenger loads were parking in various areas other than inside the transportation centre as requested by the police.
ILLEGAL TAXIS SEIZED
However, by 1:00 p.m., the police had come down hard on the operators, and two illegal taxis were seized, traffic tickets issued and cars impounded at the police station.
Though the move slowed down traffic considerably causing bottle necks in all sections of the town, the police were better able to keep a check on the movements of transport operators and at the same time, significantly reduce or eliminate the appearance of illegal operators.
Meanwhile, traffic cop Constable Lancelot Frazer told The Gleaner that the partial completion of the transportation centre to the west of the town came at the right time to accommodate the heavy traffic associated with Christmas shopping in that town.
He stated that not only has it reduced the pile up of traffic which has long been associated with Spaldings, even outside of busy periods, but that it has been helping the police to properly monitor taxis and minibuses.
