Transport Minister Daryl Vaz’s announcement of an immediate ban on all ride-sharing apps remains a contentious topic in the public domain as commuting Jamaicans and taxi lobby interests field mixed reactions to the measure.

Vaz, in his contribution to the 2024-25 Sectoral Debate in Parliament, disclosed that the move comes a day after the discovery of a body believed to be of missing teacher, Danielle Anglin.

Anglin was last seen alive on May 13 when she had chartered a cab via a ride-sharing app inDrive from her home in Hellshire, St. Catherine. The suspect was previously arrested on sexual assault charges.

In declaring his unapologetic stance, the minister maintained he had a duty to safeguard the lives of all citizens—with formal instructions to Cable and Wireless (Jamaica) Limited and its Jamaican affiliates “to restrict access, in Jamaica, to all ride-hailing applications via its network”.

Affected services include inDrive, Uber, Lyft, 876OnTheGo and the Ride Jamaica app.

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While taxi interests welcome the move, Jamaicans on social media criticised the move as heavy-handed and overreactive to the detriment of commuters.

Across social media platforms including X.com, formerly Twitter, most Jamaicans felt that a blanket ban as proposed by the Government could lead to major disruptions for both travellers of drivers who make their living on the ride-sharing services.

More still advocated for reconsidering the ban given the security protocols set in place by Uber and 876OnTheGo, while others lamented that comprehensive restrictions would not address the root cause of the issue. Women, unwilling to return to chartered taxi service, were particularly vocal that a ban compromises their mobility and leaves them with few options to commute.

Are they banning all ride-sharing apps and asking telecom providers to restrict customer access?
Did I just read that ?!

Yet route taxis and coaster buses with a history of rape, robberies, murder etc run free?

Shortsighted. Reactionary and ill-advised.
This.Will.Backfire

1/ pic.twitter.com/B3p3MvAgUS

— Ingrid Riley (@ingridriley) June 4, 2024

A few Jamaicans counterargued that commuter safety is better achieved if the Government publicises the national sex offender registry, thereby screening out would-be miscreants before they enter the ride-sharing sector.

Finally, Jamaican netizens slammed the ban as shortsighted and hypocritical given the incidence of rapes and sexual assault in public passenger vehicles (PPVs)—emphasising the unsafe nature of the nation’s roads.

On the other hand, Willard Costley, president of the Jamaica Association of Hackney and Contract Carriage, embraced Vaz’s stance and called the measure appropriate.

For Egeton Newman, president of Transport Operators Development Sustainable Services (TODSS), the ban evidently could not have come at a better time.

In remarks to the Jamaica Observer, he said that Anglin’s suspected death “brought into sharp focus the need to bring to books the Uber/inDrive ride-sharing companies”.

“We are calling on the Government, through the Ministry of Transport, to move with alacrity to put a stop order on these two companies. We believe that this revocation of operation of Uber and inDrive can be done by an executive order.”

The ban, however, has seemingly not yet materialised in the “immediate” manner declared by Vaz. All apps remain operational on Wednesday, while several Uber business accounts accepted bookings, checks by Our Today revealed.

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Already, ride-sharing platform 876OnTheGo is calling out the Government for unfairly grouping its services in the ban.

In a statement on Tuesday, CEO Olivia Lindsay maintained that her company was appropriately vetted and approved to operate by the Ministry of Transport since coming to the Jamaican market in 2017.

“It is unfair for compliant companies to suffer due to the actions of others. We should be valued, respected, and encouraged to model global best practices in the transportation industry, not be banned!” she was quoted as saying.

Full statement reads:

“876 On The Go is a registered and licensed taxi company since 2017. The company has been endorsed by the Ministry of Transport and licensed with the Transport Authority.

We deeply regret the tragic death of the young and aspiring female teacher and understand the minister’s intention to reduce such incidents. However, it is concerning and disappointing to see our company grouped with those that lack proper regulation.

876 On The Go has been thoroughly vetted and approved by both the ministry and international agencies, receiving high commendations for our safety and operational standards.

It is unfair for compliant companies to suffer due to the actions of others. The minister needs to develop a nuanced regulatory framework that ensures safety and security while recognizing and supporting companies that follow the rules.

We should be valued, respected, and encouraged to model global best practices in the transportation industry, not be banned!

From the desk of the CEO”