News

'TAX' IN THE PARK

Several buses parked in the Half-Way Tree area. These buses are being targeted by extortionists. - norman grindley

EXTORTIONISTS ARE MAKING the lives of bus operators miserable in Half-Way Tree and Cross Roads, in the Corporate Area.

"Bway more time we stop in a di bus bay a evening time di man dem draw dung pon we. We haffi gi dem a ting or a we caan stay here in peace," said a bus driver who did not want to be named.

The extortionists target the coasters in Half-Way Tree in the evenings when there are no policemen present. However, in the case of Cross Roads, the harassment is non-stop.

The Half-Way Tree police said that the area is patrolled but the men are usually there whenever the police are not around.

"You always have these guys at the bus terminus who go around and try to collect money. We're trying to deal with it as we realise the presence of the police makes a big difference," said Deputy Superintendent of Police Vilmore Austin, the officer in charge of crime for Half-Way Tree.

The extortionists have a different mode of operation for each area. In Half-Way Tree, three men come up to the bus as soon as it moves up to the front of the bus bay. One man asks for money while the other two keep a watch for any police officers. On other occasions one of the men shouts out the bus route while the other two do the watching. THE STAR saw the men in operation one evening as they asked each bus operator for money. In most cases they were each given $100. But, one conductor who refused to pay over money was threatened.

"Yow yuh gwaan like yuh a bad man. But, mi a go do yuh suppn cause from yuh come bout here yuh nuh gi man nutten. Yuh a dis man," he said.

Confrontation

In Cross Roads, the men approach the bus individually on either side of the road. On one visit to the area there was also a confrontation because the conductor refused to pay the money requested by one of the men.

"Mi nah gi yuh no bills ($100). Mi nuh gi yuh a ting dis mawning a'ready? Go weh nuh man," said the conductor as he boarded the bus to go downtown.

"Yow bet seh mi do yuh supp'n. Yow a long time man deh bout yah enuh. A nuff a unnu come bout an' try dis an' get unu dead so watch it yuh nuh bwoy," said the extortionist as he pointed his ratchet knife at the bus operator.

Interestingly, the money is collected in full view of passengers. And, the threat is also made with passengers nearby.

"A regular ting dat. Mi deh out yah more time an' si man get stab up," said a man waiting for a bus.

The bus operators are willing at times to put up a fight but normally pay up when their lives are threatened.

"It betta we pay dem dan lose we life. Because yuh nuh know when dem a come a more dan one and dem a stab yuh fi kill yuh," said a bus operator who witnessed the incident.

Another conductor said he has resigned himself to the fact that he needs to pay the tax. "We try gi dem a ting still. We either pay $100 per trip or we gi dem a $500 fi di day. If we nuh pay man get stab up. Wha we haffi do more time a park in front a di bank but we caan stop deh fi long," he said.

THE STAR tried to obtain a comment from the National Transport Cooperative Society (NTCS) but was told that the organisation's president Ezroy Millwood was the best person to comment. At the time he was said to be out of office.

THE STAR has learnt however that the situation had previously been reported by Mr Millwood to the Half-Way Tree Police.