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The Vision 2030 plan for Jamaica includes transport as a major
pillar of development. In 2007, we set out a 6 year (2009-2015)
integrated multi-modal Transport Plan encompassing Road, Rail,
Sea and Air. These remain pivotal to developing the Logistics Hub
concept which we introduced.
This Plan capitalizes on our geographical location which allows
us to move goods and services quicker than any other country, in
order to achieve growth by targeting the Maritime and Aerospace
industries as a primary driving force to create growth and jobs.
We will endeavour to follow a 1-3-5-7 programmatic approach.
Year 1: Re-assess; Year 3: Implement; Year 5: Complete;
and Year 7: Country starts to reap full benefits.
We will ensure the development of Economic Zones along the
North-South Highway on the lands provided to the developer as
part of the concession agreement in order to stimulate employment
in the areas through which the Highway passes.
We will improve the safety on our roads to reduce road fatalities to
the under-300 deaths which we achieved during our time in office.
We will rationalize the rural-urban transport structure, distributing
real economic costs to all users of public transport ,to reduce the
burden of transport costs now imposed on rural passengers.
TRANSPORT
Road
Having completed the investments by the Chinese in the North-
South Highway we will:
•
implement the plans laid out for the South Coast Highway
to Morant Bay
•
reinstate the Highway 2000 phase from Glenmuir in
Clarendon to Williamsfield in Manchester
•
Connect this Highway to the Vernamfield Airport and
Enterprise Zone.
•
This will provide Vernamfield with access to the Port of
Kingston and the Norman Manley International Airport
(Road-Sea-Air connection).
Rail
We will immediately reopen and review the rationalization of the
Railway by implementing:
•
Selective passenger service
•
Heritage Tourism
•
Cargo linkage from Kingston Port to Vernamfield ( sea to
air connection)
•
Cargo movement creating hundreds of new jobs in the
rail revival
•
Ultimately the opening of the rail service through to
Montego Bay to facilitate cargo, passenger, heritage and
hospitality traffic.
Sea
We will:
•
Implement the dredging of the Kingston Harbour
and re-examine the development of Fort Augusta to
accommodate the expanding port development
•
Revisit and examine the development of smaller ports
into marinas to take advantage of the sailing and power-
boating visitor markets
•
Pursue the establishment of an energy port at Port
Esquivel with dry docking facilities
•
Revisit the development of cruise shipping in Kingston,
taking advantage of the Palisadoes strip to the Port
Royal heritage site.