Councillor Marvell Sewell’s plea for a change in the way licences for public passenger vehicles (PPV) are issued should not be ignored. In fact, he joins many people who are concerned that predators may be behind the wheels of vehicles transporting people, and are being protected because “anybody can drive a taxi”.

“You don’t know if the person is a convict, child molester, or rapist,” Mr Sewell, the People’s National Party councillor for the Green Island Division, told this month’s meeting of the Hanover Municipal Corporation.

Indeed, as highlighted in the Observer report from the meeting published Monday, for years there have been concerns that nefarious individuals sometimes pose as cabbies, and there have been several high-profile cases of women being abducted and killed.

Mr Sewell is particularly concerned about the potential danger for students who rely on public transportation to get to and from school.

While a police record is mandatory for drivers, conductors, and owners of vehicles processed by the Transport Authority (TA), this is not so for individuals issued with PPV licences by Tax Administration Jamaica, after passing a test administered by Island Traffic Authority.

Mr Sewell wants the Jamaican system mirrored to the United States, wherein a commercial driver’s licence is usually required to drive a taxi, transport more than 15 passengers, or drive large vehicles.

We cannot ignore the fact that the role of transport operators — particularly taxi drivers — is one of immense public trust. Every day Jamaicans entrust these professionals with their safety, whether for a brief ride across town or during late-night journeys. However, reports of crimes perpetrated by individuals operating as taxi drivers underscore a disturbing vulnerability — the lack of sufficient checks and balances in the licensing processes that could prevent predators from accessing these positions of trust.

This gap in accountability highlights an urgent need to reform the way PPV licences are issued, making comprehensive criminal background checks a mandatory part of the process. While the majority of legal taxi operators perform their duties with integrity, the few bad actors who slip through the cracks can cause irreversible harm, eroding confidence in the safety of public transportation.

Taxi operators are often in a position in which passengers are at their most vulnerable — riding alone, sometimes intoxicated, sick, tired, or unfamiliar with an area. Without adequate screening, predators can exploit these vulnerabilities.

By integrating criminal background checks into the PPV licensing process the authorities can significantly reduce the likelihood of individuals with violent or predatory histories gaining access to this profession. Such checks would serve as a proactive safeguard, ensuring that only those with clean records are entrusted with public safety.

Implementing these changes should not be difficult. Criminal background checks should become a non-negotiable part of the licensing process for every single public transport operator. Additionally, taxi companies and ride-share platforms should be held accountable for maintaining these standards, with periodic reviews to ensure compliance.

By adopting stricter licensing measures, the authorities can help restore public confidence, ensuring that taking a taxi — or booking a ride — is a choice passengers make without fear.