PM Andrew Holness announces 25% drop in rates to use North-South link of Highway 2000 — Says alternative routes to highway will be maintained

Thursday, March 24, 2016

ONE week after much outcry over the proposed toll rates to traverse the North-South link of Highway 2000, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced that the fees will be reduced by 25 per cent. The toll became effective midnight last night.

This means that Class 3 vehicles, to include trucks and big buses travelling from Caymanas in St Catherine to Mammee Bay, St Ann, or vice versa, will now pay $2,775 — $925 less than the originally proposed rate ($3,700). Under this arrangement, motorists travelling the same stretch in a Class 2 vehicle (pickups and large sport utility vehicles) will pay $1,837.50 — a $612.50 difference — while morotists with Class 1 vehicles, such as motor cars and small sport utility vehicles will pay $915 — $305 less than the previous proposed rate.

Motorists travelling from Caymanas to Linstead, Unity Valley, and Lydford will now pay $2,235, $1,485 and $750 for Class 3, Class 2, and Class 1 vehicles, respectively.

Drivers of vehicles such as motor bikes that fall in the Class 4 classification will pay $450 — down from a high of $540 — to travel the entire thoroughfare, to as low as $60 to travel from Caymanas to Angels. Motorists who intend to traverse Angels to/from Mammee Bay in a Class 1 vehicle will now pay $810 down from $1,080. Class 2 users will pay $1,612.50 — $537.50 less than proposed rate — while the rate for motorists in Class 3, is $2,400, down from $3,200. The same stretch will cost Class 4 users $405 — a $135 decrease from the initially proposed rate.

Additionally, Class 3 motorists travelling between Ocho Rios and Linstead — a 39-kilometre stretch — will be asked to pay up to $1,650. The rate for Class 2 vehicles along the same corridor will be $1,110 — $370 less than the proposed $1,480. Class 1 drivers will pay $555, while Class 4 vehicles will attract a toll of $270 — $90 less than the initially proposed rate.

Prime Minister Holness, in speaking yesterday at the official opening ceremony for the thoroughfare at the Caymanas toll plaza, said deliberations will continue to reach a final equilibrium toll in the months to come. The lowered rates came after two days of talks with the toll operator. more