Devon Evans, Gleaner Writer
OCHO RIOS, St. Ann:
The job of Carol Dalling, commercial services manager at the St. Ann Parish Council, is now on the line, following yesterday's protest by taxi and bus operators in Ocho Rios which caused much embarrassment to the council.
The public transport operators padlocked the gates to the Ocho Rios transportation centre yesterday morning to protest against the deplorable state of the facility and also what they describe as a growing health hazard.
The transportation centre is owned and operated by the Parish Council and the transport operators said it has not been cleaned for several weeks.
A lengthy meeting of the commercial services committee of the council yesterday, failed to arrive at a decision over Ms. Dalling's future, after Mayor Delroy Giscombe charged her with full responsibility and recommended that her services be terminated.
The Mayor said that Ms. Dalling was fully aware of the unhealthy situation at the transportation centre from last week and had failed to inform the secretary manager or himself.
But following the failure of the meeting to arrive at a unanimous decision, the matter was then referred to the human resource committee.
Strong disciplinary action
However, it is understood that the Mayor has written to the secretary manager, Dorothy Delgado, again recommending that the strongest possible disciplinary action be taken against Ms. Dalling.
Yesterday, the transport operators took members of the press on a tour of the transport centre which was seen littered with garbage and weed growing along the verges and also along the perimeter wall.
But one of the most disturbing areas of concern was the large drain which separates the transport centre and the Ocho Rios bypass road which, from observation, is being used as a 'public toilet' with piles of human waste deposited along a 100 metre stretch.
Following the protest, councillor for the Ocho Rios division, Carol Jackson ordered a group of men to begin clean up work inside the bus park and said she would be recommending that they be paid for their services by the parish council.
