Taxi associations fear police victimisation

Two taxi associations are concerned that their members will be wrongly arrested and harassed by the police as the Ministry of National Security ramps up its efforts to ensure it meets its projected target from a traffic ticket amnesty.

The finance ministry has had to bail out the National Security Ministry after its traffic ticketing amnesty yielded only $5.5 million of the $2 billion targeted.

But the National Council of Taxi Association, NCOTA and the Route Taxi Association of Jamaica, say they are concerned about inaccuracies in the traffic ticket database.

NCOTA’s president, Dion Chance who spoke on behalf of both associations
says this situation is compounded by what he believes is a police force naturally distrustful and aggressive taxi drivers.

Chance says given this scenario, there’s a great possibility many taxi-drivers will be locked up for tickets they’ve already paid.

But he says the associations stand ready to defend their members who are dealt with unfairly.

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