Little impact of taxi strike called in St Ann, St Mary
Some commuters in St Ann and St Mary had difficulties in getting about their business Monday morning as a few taxi operators on some key routes stayed off the job. But by midday it seemed a strike called to get several issues resolved had fizzled.
Some of the popular routes within St Ann and St Mary as well as between those and other neighbouring parishes were not affected.
Routes starting in Ocho Rios, Brown’s Town and St Ann’s Bay St Ann and Oracabessa and Port Maria St Mary were most affected. However by mid-morning most routes were operating normally with a few taxis and buses off the route.
Some taxi operators pulled their cars from the popular Ocho Rios to Exchange and Ocho Rios to St Ann’s Bay routes but others refused encouragement and threats to go on strike. Taxi operators in Brown’s Town also parked their vehicles before joining a convoy into St Ann’s Bay to express their displeasure over several aspects of the New Road Traffic Act.
In the mid-morning, Police superintendent Dwight Powell addressed taxi operators in Ocho Rios and encouraged them to return to work.
A similar meeting was held between the head of St Mary police and taxi operators in Oracabessa who had withdrawn their service and parked their vehicles along the roadway.
Checks showed the usual traffic on the Runaway Bay to St Ann’s Bay and routes between Moneague and Claremont and Moneague to Ocho Rios, in St Ann.
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