Mikael Phillips urges fairer public transport fare-setting system

Opposition Spokesman on Transport Mikael Phillips says Jamaica should develop a practical framework for setting fare increases for public passenger vehicles.

His position comes after the government announced yesterday that public passenger vehicle fares would rise by 16 per cent, an adjustment that had been delayed for some time.

The increase is being introduced in two stages. The first eight per cent took effect yesterday, while the other eight per cent is scheduled to begin on July 01.

Transport operators had been awaiting the adjustment, which represents the second tranche of a 35 per cent fare increase first announced in 2023.

Mr Phillips said the authority to determine and apply fare movements should not remain with the political directorate if the process is to work more smoothly. He argued that Jamaica needs a broader discussion on a system that is workable, noting that operators should not be left waiting eight years and then receive a 35 per cent increase split into parts, with the second portion taking another two years.

Speaking Tuesday on Radio Jamaica’s Beyond the Headlines, the opposition spokesman said many operators may have already been pushed out of business by such delays.

He said the country must find a method that allows operators to receive increases while keeping fares manageable for commuters. In his view, waiting 10 years forces any administration to grant a large adjustment.