THE EDITOR, Sir:
YOUR HEADLINE in The Sunday Gleaner of September 28, 2003, 'Drivers skirt toll', comes as no surprise. I have to travel from May Pen to Kingston to work at least five days per week and I certainly cannot afford an extra $100 per day for just a 13-km stretch of road, along with the high cost of petrol that we have been putting up with lately.
Why do we have to believe that if we put up some investment we must recover the principal "overnight". From the little man who invests in a little knick-knack shop on the street corner to the multi-billionaires of big businesses, they all feel that they should not wait to recover their investments. Why should we have to pay as much as $50 to $120 to use a 13-km stretch of road? How much more will we have to pay when the next phase to Kingston is completed? This current fee should be the total amount we pay to travel on a highway that leads into Kingston.
I do not have a problem with paying a toll which will be going towards the maintenance and upkeep of the road but not as much as $50 which I am required to pay now, I think it should not be more than $20 for a start and I bet you that you would not see the pile-up of traffic back in Old Harbour town.
What is the use of jacking up your price and thus having a small amount of takers when you could make it more affordable and increase your takers? This could maybe triple your users and boost your profits even more.
I am, etc.,
LANNIE SINCLAIR
sinco2_2000@yahoo.com
May Pen
Via Go-Jamaica
