Representation row hits tourism transport sector

WESTERN BUREAU:

A representation dispute has erupted in Jamaica’s tourism ground transportation sector, with the more than 2,000-member JUTA Montego Bay declaring that a government-recognised umbrella organisation has no authority to speak on its behalf.

The dispute follows a strongly worded response from the Jamaica Tourism Ground Transportation Association Limited (JTGTA) to JUTA’s recent call for Government intervention to protect Jamaican-owned transportation operators.

JTGTA says it was established to provide a collective platform for JUTA, JCAL Tours, MAXI Tours and other Jamaican-owned tourism transportation stakeholders and has questioned why JUTA President Simon Lawrence continues to pursue the sector’s concerns independently.

The organisation received government recognition in that role in 2025, when then Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism Delano Seiveright publicly identified JTGTA as an umbrella organisation representing industry stakeholders, including JUTA, JCAL and MAXI.

However, JUTA Montego Bay is challenging JTGTA’s authority to represent its membership, insisting that it never gave the organisation permission to speak on its behalf.

In a letter to JAMPRO President Shullette Cox in 2025, JUTA stated that it is an independent, duly constituted organisation with its own elected executive empowered to act for its more than 2,000 private transportation operators.

“JUTA Montego Bay Ltd has not authorised, appointed, or given consent to this group or its representatives to act on our behalf in any capacity,” JUTA said.

Membership base

It has also questioned the structure of JTGTA, pointing to its registration at the Companies Office of Jamaica and contending that, despite being registered as an association, it has no membership base of its own.

That contrasts with JUTA Montego Bay, which says it represents more than 2,000 private tourism transportation operators.

“Our executive team remains the sole legitimate voice of JUTA Montego Bay members in all matters concerning transportation, negotiations, and stakeholder engagement.”

JUTA asked JAMPRO to direct correspondence, agreements and consultations involving the organisation only to its elected officers.

JCAL Tours President Adrian Muirhead has also stopped short of embracing JTGTA as its representative, telling The Gleaner that he did not believe the organisation had been operating collectively as a group.

However, Muirhead said JTGTA has now provided JCAL with a proposed memorandum of understanding, which will be considered by JCAL’s board this week.

The outcome of those discussions could determine whether JCAL formally participates in the umbrella organisation.

Efforts by The Gleaner to obtain a comment from MAXI Tours President Horace Taylor were unsuccessful.

The clash follows JTGTA’s response to JUTA’s call for an immediate moratorium on new tourism ground transportation licences and related work permits while the Government examines the capacity of the sector and pressures facing Jamaican operators.

JTGTA agrees that operators face serious challenges, but argues that many of the issues identified by Lawrence have already been raised by the umbrella body with the Government.

These include hotel parking charges and “park selling”, access to hotel business, foreign-owned transportation companies, ride-sharing services, unlicensed operators, work permits, airport and cruise-port access, financing, insurance and tax concessions.

JTGTA questioned why the industry continues to approach the Government through separate organisations when, it said, the umbrella body was established to give JUTA, JCAL and MAXI “one voice”.

It also said Lawrence had been invited to several meetings involving JTGTA and government ministries and agencies but did not attend on several occasions.

JTGTA argues that division among the organisations weakens the bargaining position of Jamaican operators and has again invited JUTA to participate in its lobbying and advocacy process.

The organisation has also raised questions about the history of controversial hotel parking arrangements, arguing that previous transportation leaders should be held accountable for their handling of the issue.

JTGTA alleged that at a previous meeting with Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, leaders of the three major transportation associations did not acknowledge that the practice of selling or charging for hotel parking access was taking place after Bartlett indicated he could intervene.

During the 2025 general election campaign, Bartlett pledged to address the controversial practice of operators paying for parking access at hotels, describing “buying park” – a system under which some transport operators pay up to US$3,000 weekly to park at hotels – as “an abomination”.

JUTA’s latest submission again asks the Government to guarantee fair access to tourism business, including hotel parking privileges, while examining licensing, work permits, foreign competition, tax concessions and the amount of tourism revenue retained in Jamaica.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com