By George Henry, Gleaner WriterSPALDINGS, Clarendon:
THE IMPLEMENTATION of Government's announced fare increase to access a ride in route taxis in sections of Clarendon and Manchester brought mixed reactions from commuters who were paying the new rates for the first time on Monday.
With many commuters arguing that the new fares were unjustified, there were others who were of the view that taxi operators were deserving of an increase. However, students with whom The Gleaner spoke were upset that they had to be paying up to 50 per cent increase on some routes and called for a reduction by the Transport Authority and the Minister of Transport.
Junior McCalla, who is hostel master at Knox College, noted that the hike in taxi fare at this time is unjustified. He pointed out that the income being earned by commuters does not allow them to stand up to the new fares.
"The commuters should have a better increase in their earnings before such hikes in taxi fares are applied," said Mr. McCalla. He stated that the bottom line should see an increase in consumer income, which would see them paying the new rates without feeling too much of a pinch in their pockets.
He pointed out that the increase in the fares on Monday will start to have a ripple effect through the society and Jamaican consumers would be forced to pay increases in the price of other items, especially food.
Charles Rounce, who is a carpenter in the Spaldings area, said the recent increase in the fares is justified. He pointed out that he was for the increase in the fares, because prices are being increased all around and taxi operators were also feeling the pinch.
Rounce added that he did not think that the route taxi fare increase announced by the Government was too expensive. However, the carpenter pointed out that the Jamaican public would have to push a bit harder to make ends meet, so that they would be in a position to pay the new rates.
REASONABLE RATES
Mr. Rounce noted that the increase of $10 on fares on the majority of the routes plied by the route taxis in the Spaldings area was reasonable. He stated that the fare from Spaldings to Christiana, Spaldings to Sanguinetti, Spaldings to Alston and from Spaldings to Knox College have only moved up by $10, and the travelling public should be able to afford it.
But, students who attend Knox College are upset that their fare from Spaldings to school has been hiked by 50 per cent. Adrian Thomas, a first form student at Knox, believes that the increase in the fare from the town centre to his school is unfair. "The increase is not right. The fare for students should not have been increased. We used to pay $10 to reach here and now we have to be paying twenty dollars, which is a 100 per cent increase. We cannot afford it," said the student.
According to Thomas, he and his colleagues, when in uniform, should be exempted from the hike.
Faithlyn Miller, a teacher at Knox, supported the views expressed by Adrian Thomas. She stated that the hike in the fares was unjustified, as parents will not be able to afford it on a daily basis.
She noted also that the new fares being charged would also mean that she, too, would be put in a financially embarrassing position, as the salary she is currently earning will be put under even more pressure.
According to Mrs. Miller, she will now have to find $300 per day for fares from Mandeville to Knox and back. This will amount to $1,500 per week plus she will have to find money for lunch. She pointed out that with her salary, she will have to seek a new teaching job closer to her home.
Mrs. Miller said the fare from Mandeville to Spaldings was $50 prior to the increase. However, that has been moved to $70. She stated that she usually pays $20 from Spaldings to Knox, but that has now moved to $30.
