On July 15, 2006, the first set of cars rolled through the contentious Portmore toll plaza in St Catherine. Portmore Citizens Advisory Council (PCAC), had called for a boycott of the facility saying residents were being forced to pay to travel to and from their homes, and also that the toll's starting rate of $50 was too much.

Almost three years later, the toll is now $120 for class-one vehicles, $170 for class two and $340 for class-three vehicles. Residents are still disgruntled and for 'Trish', the yearly increase puts her in a financial quandary. A single parent, her daughter attends primary school in Kingston.

"That's $240 each day and I don't buy lunch yet. I don't buy juice with my lunch, I just have water because I can't afford it. I buy one bottle of water on Mondays and fill it at the office cooler during the week. I might treat myself once a week to a drink, usually on Fridays. I have to cut costs where I can." For the average resident, daily toll Monday to Friday adds up to $4,800 per month. Trish works every other weekend.

"I'm paying to go home and when I'm on the toll, I can look over at the causeway that used to be free; it hurts."

Allowance requested

Carletta Gordon-Raby owns a flower arrangement business and has to make deliveries in Kingston, sometimes multiple trips, so the toll is especially difficult for her. "It's too high for Portmore residents; we should be given some allowance," notes Raby at a recent round-table talk with Flair Magazine at The Gleaner's North Street offices.

Some Portmore residents; have resorted to using the Mandela Highway but that route has become extremely congested, particularly during peak hours. "One morning I attempted the other route and I was in traffic for 20 minutes before I turned back," noted Trish. The toll road on the other hand, is much shorter. "When we had the causeway, I had to leave out at 5:45 a.m. to get to my daughter's school which begins at 7:45 a.m. Now I leave home at 6:30 a.m and get to her school off Windward road by 7:30 a.m. In the summer I leave home at 7:15. But it pains me every time I have to pay."