The Tropixs (Kingston, Jamaica) Several Jamaican entertainers have called on JUTC and taxi drivers to make peace following recent killings.
The tension between taxi operators and Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) drivers have remained high despite both groups resuming regular services.
On Monday the corporate area was plunged into chaos after both groups withrew their services following the stabbing death of taxi operator Akeeno ‘Bubinile’ Britton, who was killed during an altercation with a JUTC driver.
The situation would later intensify on Monday night after another JUTC driver, Mikkel Donaldson, was shot dead on Oxford Road, allegedly in reprisal, while rumours circulated of more planned attacks.
The dire situation has since forced several entertainers including Dancehall starts I-Octane and Kemar Highcoin as well as Gospel singers Chozenn, and Kevin Downswell to come out pleading with both groups to find a peaceful solution.
According to I-Octane, the situation is very concerning and although he understands the ‘eye for an eye’ approach some persons may be taking, killing each other is not the answer.
“I don’t know what transpired between the two drivers that caused that altercation (on Washington Boulevard) but in a situation where you have people losing dem life, den who am I to tell a person to turn the other cheek? As a human being, the first impulse is to retaliate but on the other hand, the whole entire thing has a weight,” he said. “It affect the country and not just an individual. We can come to a next solution, not crime and violence. We can’t just kill off everybody. Every bus driver can’t kill every taxi driver, dat only a go make things worse.”
“I am asking kindly that we stop it right here. We can’t make it escalate any further and we have this whole avalanche weh the entire place collapse. When bus man start kill taxi man, wah go happen? It a go spread from just bus man and taxi man and it a go get bigger and innocent people a go start lose dem life,” he added.
The singjay’s comments were also echoed by “So Saucy star Kemar Highcoin, while Gospel singer Chozenn encouraged Jamaicans to seek the Lord.
“The harsh reality is that in these last days, us humans are not empathetic. We pray for peace and divine wisdom as our police and military personnel go out on our streets.” Chozenn said.
Highcoin would go on to highlight the importance of both groups to the country, pointing out that the continued tension could cripple the nation if it continues to escalate.
“So they both can meet in the middle and compromise and find a solution. The fact that it (the stand-off) is now affecting our education system, it is having a negative impact on our country. So we should just come together and find some peace, and let peace reign,” he said.
