Phillips says gov’t PPV increase ‘disrespectful’ to commuters

Opposition Spokesman on Transport, Mikael Phillips, has strongly criticized the Jamaican government's decision to implement a public passenger vehicle (PPV) fare increase in two phases. Phillips labeled the move as "highly unusual" and "extremely disrespectful" to commuters, arguing that it exposes the government's continued absence of a comprehensive transport policy.

Phillips questioned the lack of prior notification to the public regarding the fare adjustment announced by Transport Minister Daryl Vaz. He expressed concern that the Transport Authority had not been officially informed, and no updated fare table had been gazetted. This situation, he warned, could lead to commuters, including schoolchildren, paying different fares for the same journey depending on the time of day, an unprecedented scenario in Jamaica's public transport history.

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How does the Government implement a new fare without notice to public passengers?

The opposition member suggested that the government is making transport decisions without a clear framework, creating uncertainty for both operators and commuters. Phillips recalled his earlier proposal to assign fare-setting responsibilities to the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR). He also indicated his intention to seek legal counsel regarding the government's approach to implementing the fare increase.

Furthermore, Phillips dismissed the staggered 16 percent increase, set to begin on June 2 and July 1, as "pure gimmickry." He argued that it only serves to confuse passengers and operators, stating that "crawling fare increases only bring more hardship." The Opposition Spokesman also demanded to know if the government had conducted an impact assessment of the new fares on travel costs in both the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region and rural areas.

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Crawling fare increases only bring more hardship.