By Claude Mills, Staff Reporter
Clement Lewis, a 28-year-old driver of Lagan Holdings and Surrey Paving, is the first person to pay a toll at the Vineyards Toll Plaza at the newly-opened section of Highway 2000. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
THE 'TOLL holiday' is officially over.
At 12:01 a.m. yesterday, 28-year-old Clement Lewis, a driver employed to Lagan Holdings and Surrey Pavings, secured a place in history when he forked over $50 cash and drove the company's white Townace van pass the mechanical barrier arm to become the first person to use the island's Vineyard Toll Plaza at the newly-opened section of Phase 1a of Highway 2000.
Minutes before he had pulled into the Toll Plaza, he had been joking with his friends, Preddie Vanrick and Kurt Wright that, given the time, he would probably be the first person to pay the toll, but denied that he had attempted to 'deliberately make history'.
"No," he said, laughing. "Nothing like that, my friends and I were just joking about it."
Lagan Holdings are local sub-contractors in the South Gully Project in Western Jamaica.
When he pulled up to the mechanical arm, Mr. Lewis seemed a little taken aback by the wash of light spread by the television cameras. He even missed a gear as he slowed to a stop, and prepared to shell out his required toll. He however smiled gamely at the reporters and cameramen as they descended on him for a comment and picture.
"It's all about good road. It feels good to drive on it, and everybody should definitely work along with it," he said in a spirited endorsement of the project.
Questioned about missing the gear change, he said sheepishly:
"I was a little nervous, but I didn't really miss a gear, I was just trying to slow down," he said.
Class one vehicles (cars) are expected to pay a toll of $50, class two vehicles (vans and large SUVs) require $60, while class three vehicles (trucks) are required to pay $120.
Damion Brooks, a 19-year-old toll collector, was the first person to collect money from a motorist paying the toll.
"I was a bit nervous at first, but I got over it. Everyone wanted to be the first tax collector to collect money from a motorist. But I guess I got lucky, I won't be boasting on them too much but this is quite a little achievemment for me, the first person to actually collect money on the new road," Mr. Brooks said.
Ealier, the police maintained a strong presence in the area. A police cruiser drove the length of the road, its roof-rack of lights spinning silently in deference to the hour. Taxi-operators who were able to eke pass the Toll Plaza before the 12 midnight expressed relief and joy that they had saved at least $50.
The operations of the Toll Plaza were supervised by Desmond Levy, operations and maintenance manager, Oral Dyer, and Trevor Dunn, patrol officer, and two policemen.
Asked if toll collectors were prepared to deal with the emotional abuse by crude members of the motoring public, Mr. Levy responded: "They are trained to deal with all types of people. If any motorist gets excessively loud and aggressive, we have a police facility here to deal with any such matter if it comes to that."
According to Mr. Levy, the sales of the $1,000 denomination TAG are going fastest. In fact, "better than expected." The prepaid TAG cards function like a debit card that can accept as well as release funds.
