The above photos show the difference in traffic on Highway 2000 (left) and Mandela Highway yesterday as motorists appeared to choose the cheaper alternative, avoiding paying the increase in toll prices. - photos by Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

Jamaican Infrastructure Operators Limited (JIO), managers of Highway 2000, is claiming the recent hike in toll prices has not affected the flow of traffic for any of the three legs of the motorway.

Desmond Levy, operations manager at JIO, told The Gleaner yesterday that the company has been monitoring the situation since Friday evening and, since then, he has noticed no adverse effects on usage by motorists.

"The possibility of an increase was already in the public domain, so people knew that the tolls would go up," he said.

According to Levy, the only visible change in traffic on the highway could be attributed to the summer break, as many parents were no longer taking their children to school.

Started on saturday

Cabinet last month approved a 16.6-66 per cent increase for toll rates, which went into effect on Saturday.

Contrary to Levy's reports, The Gleaner observed several massive traffic pile-ups on Monday morning, resulting from motorists avoiding the toll roads out of protest.

There was bumper-to-bumper traffic until 10 a.m. along sections of the Spanish Town bypass, Mandela Highway, and sections of Old Harbour Road, which had police personnel working overtime.

Subofficer in charge of traffic for St Catherine north, Sergeant Osbourne Searon, yesterday described the situation as "incredible".

"It was traffic at its worst. While we observed the massive pile-up on other roads, there were very few motor vehicles using the toll road," he said.