An estimated 600,000 vehicles, Competent Mechanics Crisis ??

Contributed

Across the country and in the city, roadside garages are proliferating, creating unbearable clutter in some areas.

In Kingston and Montego Bay, the municipal corporations give notices and then move in to remove such vehicles. Some mechanics have been engaging in such a livelihood for up to 40 years.

One man said, "This is my life, and I am willing to defend it with my life".

In that I hear confusion, murder, and mayhem possibilities by the citizenry or the state. Therein lay a legitimate problem to be addressed.

Let's go with a holistic understanding.

In 1834-1838 about 450,000 slaves became squatters no compensation, no land, no housing, no money among the descendants of African slaves.

Backra/former Slave owners and associates, Jews, poor whites, mulattoes, and indentured labourers among Indians and Chinese got a start.

Slave descendants make up 98% of Jamaica, owning no more than 5% of the Jamaican economy today.

He who has economic power has real political power. The black man has no such thing even now. No matter which party is in power the average descendants of slaves have no political power.

The illusion and facade continue; not even your African descendants in Parliament have it.

The "government," even though they do not fully understand the dilemma of their subject blacks, can adjust the squatter dilemma of the slave descendants with some mercy or abolish it.

What needs to be done is to assist those people to find more appropriate places or, let's say, this space for no more than 2 cars at a time in this designated space. Another way is to offer carefully monitored loans with assistance for such people to  acquire facilities training them in correct procedures.

In 2015 there were 190,000 vehicles; now in 2025, approximately 600,000.

The basic standard is an average of 2 trained mechanics per 100 vehicles=12000 over 14 parishes.

Seems each parish needs mechanic training centres also including it in all Technical and High Schools. Should be  CXC subject also.

The country has no forward or present plan to train or have a adequate supply of competent/certified mechanics for the national fleet.

We are no being set up for overseas personell with capital to come in and take over the opportunity that exists.

The Chinese have seen it and are coming.

People think again the clutter can be regulated with understanding, so all work together for an orderly result.

Think again before I ou support or engage in beating down our own brothers and sisters.

Remember Jamaica has approximately 2,000,000 squatters of the 3 million so getting loans without collateral with the present system is virtually impossible.

A special window must be established to have a kind of monitored bottom-up capitalism develop.

If not criminal activities will become the source of capital acquisition then an expansion of the crime industry.

The leadership needs thinkers going forward to real Emancipation and Independence not simply police and mindless enforcers.

Contributed by

mics 🖊 pen