Taxi association head blasts fare increase

Lorraine Finnikin, president of the All Voice Taxi Association, is condemning the fare increase imposed by some taxi operators following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

"It is not fair and it is unjustifiable. We have a serious issue with the Government of Jamaica in regards to our fare structure and a 16 per cent increase that we should have got over the last two years. But that has nothing to do with what is happening now. The crisis that the country is in, we cannot support or condone any operator raising their fares at this time," he said.

Commuters across the island have been reporting sharp fare increases since the storm, with adults being asked to fork out as much as $1,000 for trips that usually cost half that amount. Finnikin stressed that taxi fares are regulated by the Government, and operators know that when they enter the business.

"When they got the licence from the Transport Authority, they knew their fares were regulated. Other businesses can raise prices based on overhead costs, [but] we can't. So any increase right now, especially because of the hurricane, is wrong and unconscionable," he said.

Finnikin said reports of fare hikes have surfaced in Kingston, the wider Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region, and along routes into St Mary, but he noted that many of those areas were not severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

"If a driver had to take a longer route because of a blocked road and explained that to passengers, asking for a little extra for gas, that would be understandable. But for areas that were not affected to be charging more, that is totally wrong," he said.

He made one exception for drivers operating from Papine up to Mavis Bank and nearby communities in rural St Andrew, explaining that those hikes were not being done by 'regular' taxi men.

"Based on my investigation, it's not the regular operators. Sometimes a car from outside comes in after 6 or 7 in the evening, sees people trying to get home, and charges more. There's no guarantee of getting a trip back down, and it's not their usual route. I don't defend the extra charge, just note that those are not the regular taxi men," he said.

With students, the elderly, and daily commuters now feeling the pinch, Finnikin urged operators to act responsibly.

"We must defend the 16 per cent fare increase we're due at some other time, but using a national disaster to exploit passengers especially schoolchildren is something we cannot support."