65-year-old among three Montego Bay bus drivers charged for galloping through toll booth without paying

A 65 year old bus driver is among three Montego Bay-based bus drivers, who have now been caught by the long arm of the law, after reportedly galloping through the North-South Highway tool booths over and over, without paying accumulatively, more than $1 million in toll fees. 

The men have been charged with breaches of the Toll Road Act during an operation at the Montego Bay Transport Centre on Friday, July 14, the Jamaica Constabulary Force has reported.

The operation  was carried out by Superintendent Salmon and team, was in search of PPV operators who evade toll payments on the North-South Highway between January and March 2023.

The men are:

Karl Kellier, 50, was prosecuted on 93 counts accrued from three buses. Kellier evaded paying a sum of $733,500. He is to appear in the St. Catherine Parish Court on July 25.

The second man is Richard Dennison, 36, of Montego Bay, St. James. He was prosecuted for evading paying the sum of $211,200. He is to appear in the St. Catherine Parish Court on August 22.

The eldest, Martin Smith, is 65 years old and is from Dumfries district, St. James. He was prosecuted for evading paying the sum of $79,000. He is to appear in the St. Catherine Parish Court on August 22.

Since the announcement was made by the police, Jamaicans have flocked to the Constabulary’s Instagram page to scold the three men and praise the police. 

“👏👏👏👏👏awesome work JCF. Catch those going through the Causeway Toll system in Portmore,” one man said, while another added: “They should not get any bail , pay restitution and serve time”.

“Yes man clean up the streets they same one a road hog on the road running off every drive this need to carry out on red hill road from price mart to calabar school . Pure madneed in the evening. Let their pocket pay🔥🔥👏👏👏👏👏,” another rejoiced.

Another man called for even more stringent measures to deal with miscreant drivers.

“Licence plates should be tied to an individual, company, family and fully logged with PICA,the airports so that no move can be made until the fines are paid,” he said.

Another took issue with persons who were accusing the police of “only having strength “ for bus drivers and taximen. 

“I always hear and see these idiotic comments. Common sense should tell them if someone dodge the toll their licence plate number will lead the police to them or the vehicle owners and if somebody makes a voice note or video and put it out it’s easy to find them, than gunmen doing them thing and not going viral with it,” he said.

By Alecia Leon