PPV fare increase takes effect as commuters face new taxi and bus rates

Public passenger vehicle operators have been granted a 16 per cent fare increase by the Government of Jamaica, with the first 8 per cent taking effect on June 2, 2026, and the remaining 8 per cent scheduled for July. The increase had been outstanding since April 2024.

Opposition spokesperson on transport Mikael Phillips said the adjustment was overdue, but criticised the Government for allowing the first phase to begin on the same day it was announced. He argued that commuters and operators should have been given advance notice, a gazetted order and a fare table before the new rates started.

Phillips said fare setting should be removed from direct political control and placed with an institution such as the Office of Utilities Regulation, so operators and the public can plan around a clearer system. He also said a future PNP administration would strengthen enforcement and review the Transport Authority, including separating enforcement functions from regulatory duties through metro police arrangements in town centres.

Michael Diamond, CEO of Consumers Intervention of Jamaica, said same-day implementation left passengers unsure of what they should pay and raised consumer-rights concerns. He said some operators were already charging above approved rates, making monitoring and enforcement critical as the new fares take hold. Diamond said he did not expect a legal challenge, but called for better public information and clear fare tables.

Aaron Mattis, president of the Spanish Town Taxi Association, said he was only partly satisfied because operators wanted the full increase at once. He said some passengers contacted him for confirmation after hearing of the change, and he warned that phased increases could lead some operators to add percentages to already illegal fares.

Mattis said repeat offenders who overcharge commuters should face suspension or revocation of their licences. Transport Minister Daryl Vaz said the Government would apply “zero tolerance” to overcharging and warned operators who had raised fares illegally not to add the new increase on top of those amounts.