Jamaican taxi and bus operators resumed service Wednesday morning after a two-day strike demanding a traffic ticket amnesty from the government.
The decision to return to work was followed by a meeting with Transportation Minister Audley Shaw and the Transport Authority on Tuesday.
Egerton Newman, President of the Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services (TODSS), said in a press release that the meeting was cordial, and they were pleased with the outcome.
“[The] meeting was the type of meeting we wanted, and we got it, the members outlined their concerns and the challenges they faced in the sector that led to our request for a payment plan to freely make good on our outstanding traffic tickets,” the release said.
It was reported that the minister requested that the transport operators present a proposal outlining the request for a payment plan and how it can be executed.
The plan will be presented to Cabinet next Monday.
The protest which left several commuters stranded also forced the early closure of some schools on Tuesday. It was reported that some students and teachers had either not shown up for classes or arrived late, due to transportation difficulties.
The taxi and bus operators who held a meeting on Sunday requested amnesty because they are frustrated with the more punitive road traffic ticketing system.
They also expressed frustration over the possibility of being jailed for unpaid fines, many of which they say were issued unfairly.
