SWEEPING CHANGES are afoot in the public transportation sector, but illiteracy and non-compliance could hamper the speed of the implementation of new policies.
Speaking at the February 7 launch of New Line Motors' new fleet of luxury Yutong buses, Robert Pickersgill, Minister of Transport & Works outlined the new regulations that route taxi drivers have to face.
"The new system for the easy identification and tracking of route taxis was promised for April 1, 2004. The new requirements are all route taxi operators must be aligned to an association," said Mr. Pickersgill.
APPLICATIONS FOR LICENCES
"Applications for licences will be received through the association for easy processing."
The new system requires that all vehicles within the associations must be marked for easy tracking and identification.
The required markings are:
1. A colour coding done and lettered on parish basis. All associations within a parish will be required to display the parish colour on the vehicles. The colours will be displayed in a four square inch sticker to be affixed to the front and back windscreen of the motor vehicle.
2. A numbering system which requires all vehicles within an association to have specific numbers.
3. The association's logo, which is to be displayed on both front doors of the motor vehicle.
But even as the Minister outlined the new requirements, he conceded that the current attempts at regulating the system has been fraught with resistance.
The Transport Authority had decreed that drivers and conductors applying for identification badges would be required as at November 1, 2003 to submit birth certificate, medical report, photographs, and two recommendations from a school principal, minister of religion or a police officer above the rank of Inspector.
In response to the new regulations, there has been approximately 11 per cent compliance.
TRANSPORT AUTHORITY
"To date, the Transport Authority received in excess of 2,006 applications. This represents a small percentage of the approximately 19,000 persons who are required to be certified," the Minister said.
"It is understandable that illiterate taxi operators would be concerned about falling out of the public transportation industry. However, let there be no doubt that the policy requiring that any prospective motorist be able to read and write is not about to be changed to accommodate anyone."
However, not all the blame can be laid at the feet of taxi drivers. There has been a major glitch in the registration system, and difficulty with acquiring police records, the Minister said.
"Most Police Divisional Heads had refused to accept the receipt from the Collector of Taxes evidencing the payment of the fees, as the fees were customarily paid to the Ministry of Justice in Kingston," said Mr. Pickersgill.
"This situation has been remedied since Friday, February 6, 2004. Directives have been issued through Force Orders on that date requiring all Divisional Heads to honour the receipts. We anticipate a marked improvement in the response with the new development."
