Janet Silvera
Hospitality Jamaica Coordinator

THE MONTEGO Bay chapter of the island's largest contract carriage operators, the Jamaica Union of Travellers Association (JUTA), is calling on the government to provide a hassle-free environment for them to get their vehicles licensed.

JUTA transports a large number of visitors to the island and have members in all five resort areas and the cultural centre, Kingston.

Currently, the group is forced to do business with three different government entities in order to license their vehicles ­ the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo.), the Transport Authority and the Motor Vehicles Examination Depot.

All three companies carry out similar inspections of the vehicles, with TPDCo. and the Transport Authority overlapping by providing identification badges respectively for the drivers. The TPDCo. handles the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) licence which allows the drivers to operate in the tourist industry.

Mr. Williamson said each year, they have to re-apply to the TPDCo. for the JTB licence, the Transport Authority for renewal of road licence, "And they (Transport Authority) have someone there that does the same inspection as TPDCo." The next step is to examination depot for fitness test and this is done twice per year.

"We are asking for a licensing system that comes under one umbrella," said Garfield Williamson, president of JUTA Montego Bay, who also explained that his members have no problem with the fees being charged by the government.

NO INTERVENTION FROM MINISTRY

At a meeting of the association recently, the frustrated contract carriage operators who said they wrote to the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Works, Dr. Alwayn Hayles, over a year ago seeking his intervention, threatened to protest if the situation wasn't rectified soon.

They said having received no assistance from the permanent secretary they recently wrote to Dr. Wykeham McNeill, junior tourism minister, requesting a meeting.

The JUTA operators are of the opinion that the system was set up to keep a number of persons in jobs; and as a result they are suffering the consequence.

When Hospitality Jamaica contacted Minister McNeill, he said he was more than willing to look at the possibilities of having the drivers do business under one roof.