ST JAMES, Jamaica — From as early as 6:00 am on Monday, a number of taxi and bus drivers plying routes between Montego Bay in St James and Wakefield in Trelawny turned out to protest over the shoddy roads they encounter on a daily basis.

There were no downed trees, no debris strewn on the road, no fires lit, just drivers parked, refusing to offer their services and leaving commuters stranded.

“Every one of the taxi operators from Montego Bay towards Sign, Over River, Orange, Somerton, Lottery, Content, Goodwill, we are fed up of bad roads,” Kirk Gaynor told OBSERVER ONLINE.

He says he has offered his services on the Montego Bay to Wakefield route for the last 15 years and bus operators have reached their boiling point.

“Every week you put on a part, another one drop off and so we decide this morning that we are going to take it to the streets,” he said of the financial toll the poor state of the roads has caused.

Gaynor and other protestors complained that the thoroughfare is riddled with potholes and has deteriorated over the years because of a lack of attention.

They pointed out that while they decided to keep Monday’s protest clean, they could not guarantee that the roads would not be blocked during future protests if their demands are not met.

“Over the years we used to have some man a work and some man withdraw till the ones that withdraw get vex and end up having to block the road to send the message. However, this morning, everyone come together and unite which is good,” explained protestor Devonte Reid.

He believes the authorities need to do better.

“When road license time come around, we have to renew. When fitness time comes twice a year, we have to do that and every other cost associated with operating, we have to live up to it. So they should live up to their end of the bargain and make everything nice,” Reid argued.

Several policemen were at the scene of the protest, ensuring that law and order was maintained. Among them was the officer in charge of operations for St James, Superintendent Eron Samuels.

“While we recognise the plight of the road users and whilst we have no problem with peaceful protests, when it affects the free flow of traffic, we have a problem there. So what we are trying to do is to get them to clear the roads of their vehicles so both lanes can flow freely,” he stated.