Nedburn Thaffe, Gleaner Writer

Taxi drivers use their vehicles to block the Stewart Town main road in St Mary, yesterday, in protest against the decision of a resident magistrate to jail for two days those who continue to breach the Road Traffic Act. - Roger Robinson/Freelance Photographer

St Mary commuters were left stranded for almost the entire day yesterday, as taxi drivers took protest action against a ruling in the parish's Resident Magistrate's Court.

The protest also prevented schoolchildren who had to use the Highgate route from travelling to school. Heavy trees that were cut down for roadblocks also caused power outages in the communities of Clonmel, Belfield and White Hall.

The taxi drivers were protesting against the decision taken last Thursday, by Resident Magistrate Crisanthia Brown, to have 20 taxi drivers jailed for two days after they made an appearance in the St Mary Traffic Court for breaching the Road Traffic Act.

The drivers said they were also protesting against what they claimed was the Transport Authority's failure to provide them with the badges and other materials that they had paid for.

The Gleaner understands that most of the taxi drivers were in court to answer to offences of having no PPV badges, uniforms or logbooks.

No payment

However, Keith Goodison, general manager at the Transport Authority, told The Gleaner that none of the persons involved in yesterday's protest or those detained has paid for their badges.

"I am not aware of anyone who has gone through the process of paying for their badge and hasn't received it," said Goodison.

He said that many of the taxi drivers had only paid for the badges but had not gone ahead to do the fingerprinting which is a crucial part of the process.

"Many of them are complaining that the process is too long and that they don't want to go all the way to Kingston to have their fingerprints taken," he said.

Goodison said many of the drivers, instead, travel with the receipts, claiming the Authority had failed to issue them with badges.

Last Thursday, Constabulary Communication Communication Network liaison officer for the parish, Corporal Angella McTaggart, told The Gleaner that RM Brown was sending a strong message to motorists.

"Many of these traffic offenders take it as a joke. They just expect to come to court and pay the fine, they never expect anything like this," she said.