I love route taxis

[booger]

Instead of the back and forth bickering, wouldn't energy be better served compiling a list of taxis who offer charter services in town. The transportation section has a lot of drivers, however a lot of them are tour/airport transfer drivers. Maybe a daytime list and an evening list.

[T&A]

Sorry but if the only safe transportation you're advocating is private taxis in negril, then tourism is going to suffer considerably.

Yeah...I don't think that will be the case. I do a lot of walking when in JA
Pretty sure if I couldn't use the Route Taxi I would still go to Jamaica, too much fun to be had.
Yes, I have used both forms of transportation.

[Accompong]

If you need a flat answer, probably 0% because it's irrelevant, the Lilliput route taxi could have been a stolen taxi, it could have been a stolen red plate taxi, it shouldn't make a difference what the plates of the route taxi say. If they're not being regulated enough to provide SAFE transportation for visitors yet they're safe for locals, then something needs to be done.

Sorry but if the only safe transportation you're advocating is private taxis in negril, then tourism is going to suffer considerably.

I for one view isolated incidents as being isolated incidents, if it's as big of a problem as you're making it out to be then there needs to be considerable changes.

"probably 0% because it's irrelevant"? Why is that not relevant? First of all the plates of a route taxi don't say Lilliput the route designation on the side of the vehicle (and sometimes elsewhere) say "To and From locations and Via if a larger town or stop is located somewhere between" as the plates are just Red in Color with numbers. You can have a vehicle that says Lilliput on the side that is no longer a Red Plate because the vehicle was sold to a private party that uses it as a private "White Plate" vehicle.

A local person who was taking a Route Taxi first looks for a Red Plate and probably assumes that if it is a Red Plate then it should be going on that designated route and then check to see if the to and from destinations encompass where they pick it up at. If a Red Plate pulled up and to a local on Norman Manley Blvd and it said Lilliput on the side, they probably wouldn't enter the vehicle. I think that is what Rob means and, yes that is relevant to the discussion.

I don't think anyone would argue that there needs to be considerable changes if tourists want to use this system on a regular basis. It was designed for local use and works quite well in most areas of Jamaica. If you are outside the "tourist areas" you rarely see a tourist riding in a Route Taxi anyways.

When a criminal wants to perpetrate a crime on a tourist they obviously would want to take a rural (Lilliput) taxi into a tourist area like Negril to do so. Kind of like a duck hunter wouldn't go to the desert to hunt ducks would they? Of course not. They would go to the lakes where the ducks are.

Peace and Guidance

[Blake]

The Zero % is exactly why I cannot in good faith recommend a route taxi when pretty much 100% of Jamaicans would know not to get in that taxi. The problem is not the system, it was designed for the local populace and the local populace know how to use it. Visitors to the island, we both agree, do not.

I am suggesting that visitors to Jamaica use the transportation system designed specifically with them in mind. It is really that simple. And as Hussyband has pointed out (as well as others), the private charter taxis are not that much more expensive or that much more inconvenient.

And islandwide I do not know the exact number as I am not the keeper of these statistics but have already related the several incidents that I know about to you in a previous post. And that number is enough to make me make this recommendation and to no longer recommend that visitors use the route taxis system since we both acknowledge they have not enough experience with.

Sorry, but I guess we'll have to agree to disagree, I frankly can't see how you feel route taxi's aren't safe without empirical evidence to back it up.

"That" Taxi could have been a stolen negril taxi, the outcome would have been the same and no amount of experience would change that.

I would have no problem using charter taxis/regular taxi's IF the prices were clearly stated BEFORE getting in the car like it is in the US, the bait and switch taxi cab drivers perform along with the haggling can be downright uncomfortable, especially at night when you just want to get back to your hotel safely.

Are you opposed to a bus system for Negril for travelers? If one theft occurs will you no longer promote the hypothetical bus service? What about if a driver on your list decided to rob a passenger? Would you stop promoting your list based on ONE incident?

Extrapolating incidents to make them appear like it's unsafe to take route taxis would be like saying the US isn't a safe place to live based on the gun usage, it's making the situation appear worse than it really is.

Heck, I could see a commuter shuttle/bus system that goes back and forth between the cliffs and beaches being a possible solution to the current system which uses individual cars, but that would put a lot of red plate drivers out of business in an effort to provide a "safe" solution to visitors/local transportation.

[Kiknback]

What I'd like to see is a guide for visitors on how to safely ride route taxis in Jamaica.

Smith had a wonderful guide on here a few years ago. Not sure if it is still around.


I get Rob's point. I would not recommend a new visitor use a route taxi.

But this board has discussions of illegal drug use, cliff jumping, and scooter rentals, all of which, IMO, are much more dangerous than a route taxi ride. And when someone mentions those activities, they do not seem to get shouted down in the same way as this topic does. Is this topic off limits? It seem that way.

[Accompong]

Smith had a wonderful guide on here a few years ago. Not sure if it is still around.


I get Rob's point. I would not recommend a new visitor use a route taxi.

But this board has discussions of illegal drug use, cliff jumping, and scooter rentals, all of which, IMO, are much more dangerous than a route taxi ride. And when someone mentions those activities, they do not seem to get shouted down in the same way as this topic does. Is this topic off limits? It seem that way.

The topics like you listed are all things where the tourist inflicts the harm upon themselves whereas a Route Taxi inflicts the damage on the tourist in some maner.

"Shouted down" seems unfair. People can discuss things without emotions taking over. This seems pretty tame to me. If you lived in Jamaica like I do you would see more "shouting down" during a domino game!

No it is not off limits and yes, Smith is still around. You can see his ramblings all over the board. Do a search on his name at the top.

Peace and Guidance

[Hussyband]

Experienced travelers can get into bad situations using any transit system, regardless of whether it was "designed" for locals or visitors.

Sorry but I don't get why it's not a fair comparison to say route taxis are the equivalence to US Bus systems. Should I be outraged against people using our local transportation solutions because they're "designed" for locals?

The harsh reality is that private transport can often be way more confusing and more expensive than the route taxis, at least with the route taxis the fee is published so the tourists know what they're getting into.

Tourism makes up a huge chunk of the Jamaican economy, there needs to be a system in place to move tourists around that is safe and cost effective. Chartering a private taxi can be just as dangerous as taking a route taxi and MUCH more expensive, especially as a solo traveler.

If it's "dangerous" to take the local transportation system that needs to be addressed and changed, and not by discouraging people to use the local system.

Also I have to ask is this kind of topic not a conflict of interest for you? Just curious because if drivers advertise with you on your site it would obviously be in your best interest to push private transportation instead of route taxis. If you aren't taking any advertising money from drivers then my apologies, but it's always best to keep conflicts of interest out of a discussion IMO.

Ok, any discussion of route taxis aside. You are making the comparison that a site which makes it's living from advertisers and advertising is promoting a conflict of interest by driving readers to those that advertise? Is there some misapprehension that the board owners do this out of the goodness of their heart, paying what I can only imagine are not cheap hosting fees, administrative costs, and general board upkeep?

I know a membership on the board to chat is free, but I highly doubt running the thing is free. This is not a news outlet where the editors or owners are held to the same ethics or standards as the press (which is kind of laughable nowadays anyway), it's a company someone created as their livelihood.

[x l ent]

I know everyone has stated how sorry that this happen to them, (Hussyband & his wife) but this is my first time reading about this. I know his anger for threatening his wife could not be weighed. But I am sorry for what happened. And hope your love of this location hasn't lessened. Or that something great has happen in your lives to help deal with the tragedy.

[Blake]

Ok, any discussion of route taxis aside. You are making the comparison that a site which makes it's living from advertisers and advertising is promoting a conflict of interest by driving readers to those that advertise? Is there some misapprehension that the board owners do this out of the goodness of their heart, paying what I can only imagine are not cheap hosting fees, administrative costs, and general board upkeep?

I know a membership on the board to chat is free, but I highly doubt running the thing is free. This is not a news outlet where the editors or owners are held to the same ethics or standards as the press (which is kind of laughable nowadays anyway), it's a company someone created as their livelihood.

There is a significant difference between driving the readers to the advertisers and promoting them as the SAFE way to travel by making it sound as if you taking a route taxi will result in you getting robbed.

You're right, there is no expectation of a website owner being required to hold to the same ethics or standards as the press(which I agree is laughable) but when a website owner states that it is unsafe to take route taxis and then promotes drivers who pay him to advertise, it makes me do a double take at what I'm reading.

[captaind]

Blake....what don't you get

Negril.com is not driving anyone anywhere. Facts are facts.

My son's route is Negril to Green Island. When he runs the route he's known to most of his riders and they trust him. There are taxis that they wont get into because they don't know the driver or if it's overloaded. If you get in a gypsy cab in Las Vegas you're taking the same kind of chance.

Remember that 99.5% of visitors riding in the taxi doesn't understand one word of what's being said. Do you understand patois?

Years ago there were no route cabs and visitors mostly didn't leave they yard they were staying in.

So now visitors roam all over Negril as big as it's become. To get to the point.......

Negril.com is trying to point out the most comfortable way for a visitor to get around

You should stick to things you know about

BTW..there's a name for a visitor who will take up a route cab seat to save 1.00US.....cheap Charlie