The newly constructed Darlington Drive taxi stand in Old Harbour, St Catherine, has already become the target of extortionists.

At the official opening of the facility on Monday, Mayor of Spanish Town, Dr Andrew Wheatley warned extortionists to stay away but those warnings seemingly fell on deaf ears.

The actions of the extortionists have gained the attention of the Old Harbour police who say they will now be keeping an eye on the facility.

In addition to forcing taxi men to pay at least $200 to operate at the stand, those who have failed to meet their demands have been beaten.

A source from the Old Harbour Police Station told THE STAR that a number of taxi men were beaten by thugs after they failed to comply with the extortionists demands.

Head of the Old Harbour police, Deputy Superintendent Duetress Foster Gardner, confirmed that the police had indeed received reports of taxi operators being beaten.

park beating

"On Thursday we heard that thugs were in the park beating people who chose not to pay them. We weren't able to get a hold of them so nothing has come from those reports yet. Things were going pretty well until those reports surfaced," DSP Foster-Gardner said.

The police say they have since taken control of the facility as the extortionists who are believed to be from nearby communities will not be tolerated.

"As a result, the police are now doing regular checks in the park to ensure that the travelling public is safe," DSP Foster-Gardner added.

The facility which was estimated to have cost $8 million is said to also be affected by other problems.

According to a representative of the taxi association, "There are no proper designated markings for persons to know which vehicles to take, no light ... and to add insult to the commuters there are no shelters for them."

I sharing his opinion taxi operator, Ralston Pinnock, who plies the May Pen To Old Harbour route, said: ''We are competing against buses and it is very stiff, as we are hardly surviving so to put us here will be doing further damage to our pockets.''

When THE STAR spoke to the commercial services manager at the St Catherine Parish Council, Ferdinand Page, he said, however, that the park would be properly marked and that the operators need to comply with the regulations, as the police were on board