NEW TAXI FARES ANNOUNCED

In the pic from left to right are: Permanent Secretary, Dr. Alwin Hales, Minister of State, Hon. Joseph Hibbert, Minister Mike Henry, Managing Director of the Transport Authority, Mr. Keith Goodison and Actg. Chief Technical Director, Mrs. Elsa-May Binns.

Transport Minister Mike Henry announced new taxi fares at a Press Conference at the Transport Ministry on Friday, May 2, 2008.

A 25% fare increase has been granted on the base fare of $44 for route taxi operators islandwide. This becomes effect on May 1, 2008. This takes the base fare up to $55.00. A25% increase has also been granted for each kilometre travelled taking it from $2.50 per kilometre to $3.00.

Children under the age of 12 years, students in uniform, disabled persons and pensioners will pay 50% of the approved fares. The fare increases come on the heels of proposals submitted by various taxi associations for a fare hike ranging from 37 to 100%.

The last fare increase granted to taxi operators was in August, 2005 when a 25% increase was given, moving the base fare from $35.00 to $44.00.

Meanwhile, the Minister used the opportunity to give an update on other projects falling under his Ministry’s purview.

Among these are traffic management initiatives to be undertaken within the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR). In this respect, some eight critical corridors in the Corporate Area are slated for major road widening activities. These include Marcus Garvey Drive; Spanish Town Road; Hagley Park Road; Barbican Road/East Kings House Road/Lady Musgrave Road/Old Hope Road; Washington Boulevard/Dunrobin Avenue; Constant Spring Road and Shortwood Road.

Work is already underway on Marcus Garvey Drive and Spanish Town Road with the corridors eventually ending up with a six and a four lane expansion respectively.

Another area of expansion on which the Minister gave details was that of the Traffic Signals Expansion programme all over the island. Recently, traffic lights were commissioned into service at several intersections of Segment Two of the North Coast Highway Improvement Project (NCHIP).

These areas are Mammee Bay, Drax Hall, Bravo Street, Salem Fishing Beach, the Runaway Bay HEART Academy Entrance/Exit as well as the Runway Bay/Browns Town Main Road intersection.