By Leonardo Blair, Staff ReporterTHE TRANSPORT Authority is urging associations of route taxi operators still without their colour coded stickers to go and get them at the agency's four regional offices.
After hearing reports that a number of taxi operators were still waiting to receive stickers, Joan Fletcher, managing director of the Transport Authority, told The Gleaner in an interview on Monday that since the announcement of the new colourcoded system for taxis, the Transport Authority has issued some 2,400 stickers to cover a total of 1200 vehicles. At the Kingston office, she said, some 306 stickers were issued; 400 in Ocho Rios, St. Ann; 500 in Mandeville, Manchester and 1,194 in Montego Bay, St. James. The stickers costs some $80 per pair.
"When the associations come in and pay for the stickers, they are issued to them on the spot," said Mrs. Fletcher, "We don't wait until the licences have been renewed. Once they have applied for the renewal of their licence, they can pay for the stickers and get them."
One association head however noted that members of his association were still awaiting stickers from the Transport Authority.
The stickers which are 4" X 4" in size have been coded by colours and letters to identify the working area of the taxi.
STICKER CODES
The Kingston and St. Andrew area have been assigned Gold stickers with the letters AB. St. Thomas' are white with the letter C. Portland has a deep red with the letter D. St. Mary has pink and has been assigned the letter E. St. Ann has another shade of red with the letter F. Trelawny has purple with the letter G. St. James has yellow with the letter H. Hanover has red with the letter I. Westmoreland has been assigned blue with the letter J. St. Elizabeth has brown with the letter K. Manchester has blue with the letter L. Clarendon is Pink with the letter M while St. Catherine has blue with the letter N.)
Some 19,000 route taxi operators across the island were expected to start displaying their colour-coded stickers on April 1.
More than a month ago, Minister of Transport and Works Robert Pickersgill told reporters at the Excelsior Community College some 2,000 prospective route taxi operators had applied for colour codes so far.
In February, Minister Pickersgill issued a warning to taxi operators to join taxi associations as part of the requirements of the new public transportation system or risk losing their licence.
