Jamaica: Registry for taxi operators

Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Robert Montague, says the Transport Authority (TA), in collaboration with several national taxi associations and insurance companies, is developing a registry for taxi operators.

In a meeting with members of the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services (TODSS), on January 31, at the Ministry, in Kingston, the Minister said the registry will contain data collected by each entity.

He pointed out that the registry will act as a reference point for persons who employ taxi operators.

“Now we are gathering information on the number of accidents, the amount of points on their licence, their driving experience, the experience that the employer would have had with them, so when they go to drive for another person, that person can call the TA and get the background on this particular driver,” the Minister said.

“The registry will provide information on the driver, their driving history and employment history,” Montague said.

Transport and Mining Minister, Hon. Robert Montague, addresses members of the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services (TODSS) during a meeting on Thursday (January 31), at the Ministry, in Kingston. The meeting featured a presentation of proposals to the Transport Minister outlining solutions to the challenges in the private passenger vehicle (PPV) sector, to improve passenger experience, enhance security and driver utilisation.

The meeting, which was attended by members of TODSS, included the presentation of a proposal to the Transport Minister outlining solutions to the challenges in the private passenger vehicle (PPV) sector, to improve passenger experience, enhance security and driver utilisation.

President of TODSS, Egerton Newman, said the meeting was one of the planned activities for the year to engage over 34,000 stakeholders in a road safety action plan.

“Today’s activity is the official presentation of our one-year road safety action plan to the Ministry of Transport. Several persons who are here have been engaged over the last six years in these activities to reduce fatalities. What we want this year, as our main aim, is to have road fatalities reduced to fewer than 300,” he said.

The islandwide activities include four motorcades, 50 one-day training seminars and workshops for public transport operators, and the training of 300 PPV operators in personal and human resource development.