The business community of Jamaica’s second city of Montego Bay in St James is onboard with the ‘Restoring Paradise, A Public Order Reset’ operation now under way in the city.

The initiative, aimed at curtailing widespread illegal vending, indiscipline among taxi operators and other forms of public nuisance, began on August 15 and will run for 14 days. It is a multi-agency operation involving the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch, St James Municipal Corporation, Jamaica Defence Force and the Transport Authority.

An assessment will be done after the 14 days to see if the operation should be extended and the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry is the latest organisation to signal its support of the initiative.

Oral Heaven, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has declared: “The support is there from the business community, and we encourage everyone to support the public order reset.”

Addressing the media launch for the Kiwanis Club of Providence, Montego Bay’s 13th Annual Breast Cancer Run/Walk/Wheelchair event, Heaven said: “Fourteen days is the start of things to come and it’s about protecting us, it’s about protecting what we have. There are so many things happening in Montego Bay that are great, so there is nothing wrong with Montego Bay that what is right cannot fix. I encourage you to support the public order reset.”

The event is slated to be held on October 30 with proceeds going to the Jamaica Cancer Society.

Heaven noted that the run/walk/wheelchair event is about bringing awareness and raising funds for a worthy cause and urged Corporate Jamaica to lend its support.

Project Chairman Nadine Spence noted that the annual fundraiser has become a signature event with “community partners and stakeholders actively participating by opening their establishments to facilitate registrations and other related activities”.