Millwood

PERSONS FAMILIAR with Ezroy Millwood know he is never one to dodge a fight.

But the combative president of the National Transport Co-operative Society (NTCS) says he may throw in the towel after his latest bout with Government.

In March, Transport Minister Mike Henry ordered the NTCS to pay millions of dollars in franchise fees to the state-run Jamaica Urban Transit Company.

Henry also said the NTCS, which has 164 members with more than 1,000 employees, should wrap up its operation by November.

After several torrid exchanges involving Millwood and transport ministry officials, Henry extended that deadline to December 2.

On Friday when he spoke with The Sunday Gleaner, the 66-year-old NTCS boss had calmed down but it appeared the fight had been knocked out of him.

"Whatever we get to work with, it's my intention to work with it. I'm not opposing anything," Millwood said.

He added that he was prepared to walk away from the local transportation business, in which he has been involved for 33 years.

"Right now I don't want to predict what will happen come January, but certainly I'm not looking forward to this type of harassment and trouble," Millwood said as he signalled the possible end to a relationship which started with him as a driver in 1976.

clashes

Millwood's many clashes with the Government began shortly after the transport ministry signed a 10-year contract with the NTCS in 1995, making it the official franchise holder for the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region.

Almost from the outset, the NTCS was dogged by criticisms from passengers and motorists who complained of the unprofessional behaviour of bus crews and lewd conduct on buses.

Those criticisms have continued until today and, recently, the transport ministry ordered tints removed from NTCS buses amid reports that persons, including schoolchildren, were having sex in some of these vehicles.

Millwood scoffs at his detractors, and threw a punch at the state.

"Transport is the responsibility of Government, just like road and water. In the absence of Govern-ment, we private people tried to provide proper transportation with no subsidies. We tried!" he exclaimed.

According to Millwood, the NTCS did well considering the conditions under which it operated.

"I'm not saying it was perfect, but we have taken it (transport service) to a level never seen before," he boasted.

The P.J. Patterson administration was not impressed with that level, and formed the Jamaica Urban Transit Company in 2001 to replace the NTCS.

In 2000, the administration offered to buy out the last five years of its NTCS contract for $172 million, with $100 million to be shared by its more than 400 bus owners.

Millwood refused, and, in August that year, lawyers representing the NTCS filed a suit in the Supreme Court seeking $3.7 billion in compensation.

In October 2003, the bus company was awarded $4.5 billion, which rose to $10 billion with interest.

However, the celebrations were short-lived, as the ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeal. Millwood has taken the case to the Privy Council.

Robert 'Bobby' Pickersgill was the transport minister in 2000 when the dispute between the Govern-ment and the NTCS was at its worst.

But despite the conflict, he regards Millwood as a "very good friend".

"If you do not understand Ezroy, you get the wrong impression. Once you sit with him, it's easy to separate the bark from the bite," Pickersgill said.

england and back

Millwood was born in Dallas Castle, rural St Andrew. He migrated to Britain in 1960 but returned to Jamaica 14 years later, prompted by a speech Prime Minister Michael Manley gave during a visit to London, in which he encouraged young Jamaicans to come home.

The returning resident worked as a bus driver for 15 months, then moved into administration in 1980 as a founding member of the Jamaica Mini-Bus Association.

Although Millwood had his share of scrapes with the People's National Party when it was in Government, there were rumours that he was once considered to represent the party in national elections. He denied this.

On Friday, Millwood said he wanted little to do with politicians and politics.

"The political landscape in Jamaica is full of confusion, hypocrisy and untruths. I would have difficulty in saying I trust politicians," he said as he tried to end speculation that the well-known 'bus man' could soon be a politician.

howard.campbell@gleanerjm.com