Scores of commuters left stranded as taxi operators pull service

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A number of commuters in and around downtown Kingston were left stranded Monday as transport operators withdrew their services.

The operators on Sunday afternoon voted to support an islandwide strike for three days, starting Monday, after the Government failed to grant a traffic ticket amnesty as requested.

The Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services (TODSS) held a meeting at Half-Way-Tree Primary School and 99 percent of the attendees voted to go ahead with the withdrawal of their service.

And hours after that decision, commuters say they are seeing the effects.

“I have been standing here from morning and yet to get any form of transportation,” said one female security guard in the Parade area of downtown, Kingston.

She was not alone.

“Because of the transport operators pulling their service my son returned home because he was unable to get transportation,” said another commuter.

And with some taxi operators deciding to pull their service, the police say they are receiving reports that those operators who wish to work are being targeted by criminal elements.

There have been reports of ‘loader men’ pulling passengers from the vehicles of those taxi operators who have decided to continue working.

Police sources said two men were held in connection with the act of removing passengers from motor vehicles.