By Vanessa Braithwaite

AFTER months of deliberations and consultations, the Linden Toll Station was finally reopened at Kara Kara on Monday, October 31st; and will commence operating from today, Tuesday November 1st.
The simple booth-opening ceremony was attended by the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams, who had opined that the booth was closed by the People’s Progressive Party Administration in an attempt to starve Linden residents of much-needed revenues; Minister within the Ministry of Communities, Valarie Patterson; Member of Parliament Jermaine Figueira; Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland, Deputy Mayor Waneka Arindell, Regional Chairman Renis Morian, Regional Vice Chairman Elroy Adolph, Deputy Director of Community Development Council, Sandra Adams; Regional Democratic Councillors and Municipal Councillors.

In his feature address, Minister Williams said, “This long-awaited day as a landmark occasion that is truly deserving of the people of Linden.” He posited that the toll booth’s operation had been arbitrarily discontinued by the previous government, which had engaged him on the matter with the reasoning that the booth’s operation had not been properly gazetted.

Williams said it was an intentional move to cut revenues from Linden, as lumber giant Bai Shan Lin subsequently begun operating. “You lost millions of dollars, and it wasn’t by accident; it was deliberate…. The reopening of this toll booth is really the return of people’s power to Linden,” Williams affirmed.

The Linden municipality will now be able to garner funds independently, and it is estimated that at least $3M will be garnered monthly, or more than $36M on an annual basis.

“Municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils can now garner revenue. They can now move around the world to find investors. They could make their own plans to develop their communities…. You have the flexibility to do all of these things under your newfound independence; and this could only be but the beginning of your efforts, that is: the restoration of this toll booth in garnering revenue for this municipality,” Williams declared.

Similar sentiments were echoed by Minister Patterson, who posited that the reopening of the toll booth signals the return of democracy to the people of Linden. This democracy, she said, came after 23 years of dependency and marginalisation.
Patterson said that through this APNU- AFC Government democracy has been restored, and the toll booth is a fitting example of this.

“Today I want to congratulate you on the reorganisation that is taking place in the Council and the re-establishment of this economic activity in Linden,” she said.

Mayor Holland said that although the toll booth would bring in significant revenue, it would not answer all of the town’s economic problems. “The revenues will assist with the repairing of roads and other infrastructure that are being destroyed as a result of the traversing of heavy-duty and lumber trucks,” he said.

The Mayor said large companies were abusing Linden, and he expressed gratitude to Minister Williams for dealing with the process expeditiously.
Holland said that although there was some bad publicity and negativity during the process, he is happy that he now has the support of the loggers. He revealed that the Region 10 loggers would not be significantly affected from paying a concession of 25% of the toll.

“I must tell you it’s mere cents per BM (board measure). We calculated it with the loggers while we were talking, and I worked it out with them: under 50 cents…. So this contribution that the loggers would be making is not something anyone should cry about,” Holland said.

Speaking on behalf of the Region 10 Loggers Association, Mr. Colin Anderson said loggers were now in a position to understand what the Council is doing, and the need to garner funds to undertake developmental projects.

“We, as loggers, we understand that this toll booth is necessary, and we will try our best to work with the Council to realize the good and the prosperity of the municipality of Linden,” he said.

The toll booth operations will see the imposition of tolls for the use of the roads by 18 categories of vehicles, particularly vehicles passing through the town with fuel, lumber or merchandise. These include lumber trucks; machine haulers; container trucks; canters selling beverages, fish, fruits and vegetables; dry goods etc. The tolls will range from $2000 to $7000. Linden-registered businesses would be subjected to paying only 25% of the toll for their category of vehicle. Hire cars, private cars and vehicles entering the town for domestic purposes will not be subjected to paying the tolls.

Following an order by then Local Government Minister Clinton Collymore, the toll station was disbanded on September 26, 2013, sixteen years after it was opened under the stewardship of the then Mayor, Stanley Smith. In addition to the toll booth, the Council will be looking to garner more revenues with the establishment of various initiatives. These include the return of the Mahdia to Lethem Bus Park to Wismar, the re-evaluation of rates and taxes paid by residents, the return of the municipal airstrip, and solid waste management and alternative energy.