Motorists pay ‘toll’ to drive through community
Some motorists using the Majesty Gardens community as an alternate route to avoid traffic caused by the roadwork going on in the Three Miles area are sometimes required to pay a ‘toll fee’ by residents.
One driver said she doesn’t mind paying up to $500 per day because she hates being stuck in the traffic.
“Me give them a ting sometimes. Is not like them have a set fee and say I have to pay a particular amount, so more time I just bless them up. Sometimes me give them a two bills ($200) for the day but on a day when me have money me give them all five (hundred). Me tyre puncture round there and me did fraid but a man just fix it and me go me way,” she said.
As the Hagley Park Road Improvement Project ramps up, some persons opt to avoid the build-up of traffic by detouring through the inner-city community, popularly known as ‘Back To’.
One of the ‘collectors’ told The STAR that motorists are safe.
“As much as how dem love say Back To man dem love rob people, nobody nah get hold up round ya. Me no hear no car man a bawl out. Them safe more time; we just collect a ting to fix the likkle pot hole dem. It’s not a extortion ting because if dem say dem no have it, nobody nah block no road pon dem but a so me eat a likkle food,” he said. Another resident implored motorists to drive with caution.
BEING EXTORTED
“Whole heap a little pickney out a run up and dung and sometimes the man dem go fast thru the place like dem deh a Dover,” he said. “We have to make sure say we take a ting to fix back we road and buy a juice. Man nah rob dem and nuff ghetto me hear people drive thru and say man set trap in the road for dem and take out the keys out dem ignition and rob dem, but we nah do dem tings deh. We just want a ting cuz if dem stay inna di traffic, dem bun more gas.”
But some motorists feel they are being extorted.
“I have driven through there a couple of times and it’s like they use the kids as bait in the road, so you have to slow down. Once you do that a some tough and ‘cut up’ face man you see at you window and tell you to give them a ting. I am not saying everyone around there is doing it, but there are men there who are ‘forcing’ the drivers to give them cash. I paid about two times but now I rather stay in the traffic,” a male driver explained.
Superintendent Gary Francis, commanding officer for the St Andrew South Division, said he was unaware of the issue and firmly stated that the practice was illegal.
“We will be dealing with that directly because that is extortion. They are going to hide stuff like that from the police, but we gonna ensure that this doesn’t happen anymore,” he said.