Bar Association’s pillion ban proposal questioned
The Jamaica Bar Association has drawn sharp criticism from persons in Jamaica’s tourist hotspots, including Negril and Montego Bay, after proposing a ban on motorcycle pillions.
Montego Bay stalwart Lloyd B Smith draws a parallel between this proposal and the contentious Road Traffic Act rule that mandated special seats for children in public passenger vehicles.
“There can be exceptions to rules I suppose, but the thing is too, I think the police have not been sufficiently vigilant in monitoring these bike riders,” Smith remarked.
“There may well be a case for some amount of discretionary measures to be taken but I do believe, especially in the urban setting especially for Kingston and Montego Bay, some thought should be given of curtailing the wide produce of motorcyclists with pillion riders considering the criminal aspect,” he continued.
Persons have been highlighting the indispensable role bike taxis play in the daily lives of both tourists and locals. From shuttling visitors from Little London to Negril’s town centre in Westmoreland, to ferrying residents across Montego Bay’s urban sprawl in St James, these taxis are more than just a means of getting around, they’re a lifeline for many.
Danny* who currently operates a bike taxi in order to fund his training as a welder, expressed concern.
“Mi nuh think dem fi do it ‘cause it is a bad idea. When you put a man out of getting a honest bread and him nuh have anything else fi do, you ago have a next problem fi fix. When people desperate dem do anything. Dem do bad things,” he explained. Smith called for more vigilance.
“If necessary, there can be a way of monitoring those idlers who just ride around without any purpose and to be able, to some extent, differentiate them from persons who are going about their lawful business,” Smith said. “It needs a greater level of enforcement and vigilance on the part of the police where we have built up traffic, for example, along with the use of the cameras and citizens in general being vigilant of their personal space.”
*Name changed to protect identity