Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer
SPANISH TOWN:
TAXI OPERATORS plying the Gordon Pen to Spanish Town route say extortionists operating in the Gordon Pen community have started to 'tax' them.
The operators told The Gleaner that after paying $100 to operate on Young Street in Spanish Town, they are now being plagued by men who is charging them $100 to go through the Gordon Pen community. They said that this has started since the shooting death of taxi operator Jeremiah Golding.
"Me already pay $100 and now them start the taxing system up here," one taxi operator said. "It really bad man."
Yesterday, The Gleaner news team travelled through the area in a taxi and upon reaching a section of the Gordon Pen main road, a man approached the driver telling him that he needed to pay $100 to get through. This money was paid and the driver was allowed to proceed.
General Secretary of the National Association of Taxi Operators (NATO), Egeton Newman, said the recent complains of taxi operators being extorted in the Gordon Pen community of St. Catherine is not to be taken lightly.
"What is happening is not only extortion, it is high level of criminality. And it cannot be fair for our over 3,500 NATO members in St. Catherine that this practice is allowed to continue," Mr. Newman said. "The police high command just sits and does nothing about it."
But checks made at the Spanish Town Police Station revealed that although they have heard of the practice, no formal complaint has been received. The police promised to investigate the matter.
Mr. Newman said that a meeting was held with concerned taxi operators on Wednesday night in the Eltham Park area and another meeting will be convened by Monday to deal with the problem of extortion and other problems affecting taxi operators in St. Catherine and Spanish Town especially.
