Jamaica Highway Toll Hike Could Cost Commuters $5,220 for Round Trip

The single sharpest fact in one or two punchy sentences. Motorsists traveling Jamaica's Highway 2000 North-South Link could soon pay $5,220 for a round trip between Caymanas and Ocho Rios under proposed new toll rates published by the Government.

The Ministry of Energy, Transport, and Telecommunications is proposing a capped toll of $2,610 each way for Class 1 vehicles, up $115, or approximately 4.6 per cent, from the $2,495 rate introduced last year. Operators of Class 2 vehicles would pay $5,220 one way, while the proposed toll for Class 3 vehicles, including larger trucks, is $7,830. That would push the round-trip toll for a Class 3 vehicle to $15,660. Motorcycles and other vehicles classified as Class 4 would pay $1,305 each way between Caymanas and Ocho Rios. The proposed Class 1 tolls for shorter sections include $2,280 between Angels and Ocho Rios, $1,575 between Linstead and Ocho Rios, and $945 between Unity Valley and Ocho Rios. The proposed rate between Lydford and Ocho Rios is $540.

The ministry published the proposed increases after Jamaica North South Highway Company Limited applied for its annual adjustment in toll tariffs. The concession agreement between the highway operator and the State-owned National Road Operating and Constructing Company allows the concessionaire to apply annually for an increase. The ministry said it intends to amend the Highway 2000 North-South Link Toll Order to vary the tolls payable by each class of vehicle. The figures published are proposed maximum toll levels and have not yet been announced as the rates that will take effect. The notice also did not state an implementation date. Members of the public and interest groups have five days from the publication of the notice to submit objections or comments to the Toll Authority. Submissions may be sent to [email protected] or delivered to the Toll Authority at 11a-15 Oxford Road in Kingston.

The North-South Highway has been in operation since 2001. It's a key transportation artery that connects the eastern and western parts of the island.

The proposed toll hikes come as the Government looks to increase revenue from the highway. The ministry says the increased tolls will help to maintain and improve the road network.

You can send your objections to the proposed toll hikes to the Toll Authority before the deadline.

### The Ministry of Energy, Transport, and Telecommunications' proposal is the latest development in the ongoing debate over the North-South Highway. The ministry says the increased tolls will help to maintain and improve the road network.