The Jamaica Railway Corporation, JRC, and the St. James Municipal Corporation have agreed to work in partnership in addressing challenges which have arisen on lands in the parish which are owned by the rail company.
At a recent meeting between the two entities, it was decided that work on resolving long standing challenges relating to the illegal occupation of the JRC properties across St. James and the threats to health and safety which have been reported, will commence immediately.
A series of follow-up meetings will also be convened between the St. James Municipal Corporation, the JRC and if necessary representatives of the Ministry of Health and the National Solid waste Management Authority, NSWMA and the occupiers to ensure that decisions taken are implemented on time.
Chairman of the JRC, Ferris Ziadie said “the meeting with Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Homer Davis as an amicable one. We discussed the challenges which exist on the JRC lands across St. James, and especially in the Montego Bay area and we agreed on a plan of action in resolving these going forward”.
Mr. Ziadie also highlighted that these challenges, which include but not limited to squatting, the condition of the JRC’s buildings, health and safety concerns and the general manner in which the properties are maintained are linked to a myriad of unenforced activities by various entities which overtime have escalated to a complex but fixable situation with the support of the St. James Municipal Corporation.
He said as Chairman of the JRC, he will endeavour, with the support of the stakeholders, to ensure that decisive actions to reclaim the JRC’s properties continue in earnest and that the challenges which were highlighted leading up to and during the meeting with the St. James Municipal Corporation will be addressed.
Meanwhile, Mayor of Montego Bay, said the meeting was very productive as a number of long standing challenges were discussed and clear decisions taken on having them addressed.
“The meeting was very productive as the JRC representatives, Chairman Ziadie and Chief Executive Officer Fitzroy Williams came with a clear vision of working with the St. James Municipal Corporation in correcting the issues. I am confident that going forward, the will be a new approach to operations on properties owned by the JRC, especially here in Montego Bay”, Mayor Davis said.
In recent pronouncements, Mayor Davis expressed concerns about the state of JRC properties across St. James and asked that immediate actions be taken in addressing the matter.
