Taxi fare hike takes full effect in St James today

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Commuters in St James will today feel the full brunt of a 16 per cent fare hike that was approved last month. About 45 per cent of taxi operators in the parish had heeded a call from president of the St James Taxi Association Dion Chance to delay the full increase until July 1.

“I want to raise my hat to those who saw through what we were saying… It’s good to see that all is not lost in this wonderful country of ours, that we still have some people with conscience,” Chance, who is also director of the National Council of Taxi Associations (NCOTA), told the Jamaica Observer Tuesday.

On June 2 Transport Minister Daryl Vaz announced that fares had been hiked by eight per cent, effective that day, and there would be a similar increase July 1. The staggered increase, the minister said, would minimise the inflationary impact on the economy. However Chance indicated, then, that the 15-association group he leads had agreed to introduce the full increase at the beginning of July, partly to minimise confusion and partly as a gesture of goodwill.

On Tuesday he expressed surprise that the bulk of his members had gone ahead with the fare hike.

“Some persons chose to do otherwise, and there is nothing that could have stopped them. The increase was granted but we were just trying to use moral persuasion and to say, ‘Have a heart for your brothers and sisters.’ It is kind of shocking to see that we don’t have the [empathy] for each other; there is no love, there is no compassion in anybody, heart for anybody — everybody is just all for themselves,” he said.

However, Chance said he understands the challenges taxi operators face, particularly rising fuel prices, which may have contributed to some members breaking ranks.

“In business you have to be able to stay above water, you need a return on your investment, but at the same time you also have to do it in a responsible way,” he argued.

He made it clear, however, that he thinks cabbies handled the overall situation well, despite the challenges surrounding fare increases over the years.

The 16 per cent hike that takes full effect today was the balance of a 35 per cent increase approved in October 2023. At the time, cabbies accepted a partial increase of 19 per cent as the Government steadied the economy in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then there was the economic fallout from 2024’s Hurricane Beryl, last year’s Hurricane Melissa, followed by punishing gas prices as a result of this year’s tensions in the Middle East.

“It shows maturity, because I know a lot of people were expecting to see big strikes and all of that, but in this world today you have to be able to reason things out and command the respect of people,” said Chance of how those who work in the transport sector have behaved.

“It’s good to see now persons are coming into their own to realise that this is where they make a living, and it’s a job like anybody else’s and not just something where you come out and hustle,” he added.

He is hoping cabbies who give the profession a bad name by overcharging passengers — even if it is just by claiming they have no change and taking $10 extra — will be weeded out.

“It is up to the enforcers, the Transport Authority (TA), to go out there and ensure that those who were being overcharged don’t face similar issues going forward, and that the operators will stick to the fares that are in place,” he said.

“Based on the information that I am privy to, the TA is going to be having a drive to see where persons are being overcharged — and they are being encouraged to report such incidents to the TA,” Chance told the Observer.