WESTERN BUREAU

Taxi operators playing routes in sections of Montego Bay will breathe a sigh of relief today when the St. James Parish Council implements a parking system along North Street, St. James Street and Williams Street.

The new system will benefit more than 100 taxi operators plying the Paradise /Norwood, Hendon /Norwood and Sun Valley/ Melbourne areas who have been coming under fire from the police and the Transport Authority for improper parking in recent months.

"We have come to an agreement and we will be marking a lane along Williams Street with yellow paint which will indicate where the taxi operators should park to allow for passengers to embark and disembark," Mayor of Montego Bay Glendon Harris, told THE STAR.

Mayor Harris said the level of indiscipline on the road has to be curtailed and creative ways must be found to implement measures to do so.

"We are seeing the positive impact that the parking system along King Street is having on Market and Union streets which used to be so congested and police would be constantly prosecuting people for poor use of the road. Now that is basically nil," he said.

properly managed

Henry Cunningham who plies the Hendon Norwood route said the new system will be a good one if properly managed.

"It is a good idea it will mean that taxi operators will have a designated area for ourselves. Other private vehicles would therefore not be allowed and this would give greater access to the area; a very good idea," he shared.

For Paradise /Norwood taxi operator Hubert Malcolm it would be a welcome move as it means less harassment from the police. "It will be a good thing to get it implemented because it would mean less action from the police. So I welcome this move," Malcolm said.

Mayor Harris met informally with taxi operators last Thursday to get a final word from them before giving the green light for the new system to take effect today.

Among the suggestions from the taxi operators would be to relocate the Williams Street market to give more space, as well as to bar white plated vehicles from parking in the designated taxi parking areas.