Jamaica / Driving/Parking

It might be hard to imagine, but driving around Jamaica can be one of the most atmospheric and entertaining things to do on the island. Just heading around at your own pace, stopping at the sights and then for a grilled chicken and a beer or a corn soup at the roadside, is a great way to see the country, which is definitely worth exploring. The island is exceptionally beautiful to begin with. You will pass through incredibly pretty gorges; glide along untouched coastlines; through plantations in a million shades of green; and over rivers where vast trees hang with lianas or explode with airplants. Just add music – Marley, Dennis Brown, Luciano, or Irie FM (105.5, 107.7) which plays day-long culture (easy-listening) reggae – and you have a perfect combination. There has been an improvement in the roads in Jamaica recently and so the leisurely process is not quite as leisurely as it once was, nor are the main roads as pretty and quaint now they are straight and fast, but if you get off the highways, on to smaller roads inland and drive through undeveloped areas (along the south coast, in the central mountain ranges and out east), then the old Jamaica, with all its unutterable charm, is still there.

All of this said, on the main roads Jamaica is sometimes not a very relaxing a place to drive. You need your wits about you as many of the Jamaican drivers seem to be working out a death wish. They drive at high speed whenever they can and overtake with the flimsiest of encouragement (blind corners and even oncoming traffic is no impediment sometimes). They even queue up while overtaking which can be a little alarming. And then they swerve back in shockingly early, cutting you up. At night barely anyone bothers to dim their headlights, until you remind them with a blast of full beam. It has always been a pretty ruthless system, but it has all got more dangerous with the improvement of the roads because all the bad habits are now carried out at higher speed. Be prepared to drive defensively when the going gets dangerous.

You should also be aware that cars sometimes stop without warning (this includes the Route Taxis, some of the worst offenders anyway, which stop at the drop of a hat to pick up passengers), and in towns this can cause gridlock at popular drop-off and pick-up points. As with the rest of the Caribbean, sounding your horn is the norm, both as a greeting and warning, so expect lots of hooting and waving of hands when stuck in traffic.

On remoter roads there are other, more traditional Caribbean hazards. There are frequently pot holes, and wandering livestock. Look out for untethered herds of goats, the occasional cow, dog, chicken and even pig, which venture out on to the roads. There are recognised chicanes around pot holes, so don’t (necessarily) be alarmed when a vehicle appears on your side of the road coming the other way.

As in the UK driving in Jamaica is on the left. The island-wide speed limit is 50mph/80kph for the open road and 30mph/50kph in built-up areas, towns and villages. On the new highways it is a maximum of 65mph/110kph.

The island has a network of around 11,700 miles (18,700kms) of roads, of which around 8,200 miles (13,100kms) are surfaced. A road improvement and expansion plan is currently under way. Two new highways have been partly built, from Kingston west towards Mandeville and north over the mountains to Ocho Rios, and then from Montego Bay to Ocho Rios.

Be prepared for journeys to take longer than you might have anticipated, particularly if you are going off the main highways, due to potholes, winding mountainous roads, roving packs of school-children dressed in plaid, and agricultural vehicles. The trip from Montego Bay to Port Antonio, approximately 133 miles/212kms, can take 5 hours. Montego Bay to Kingston is around 119 miles/190kms and will take anything between 3 ½ and 5 hours. Petrol is known as gas and there are a reasonable amount of service stations on the main roads, particularly in the tourist areas. Once off the main roads in the countryside they are much less frequent. On the main routes you will also find some “rest stops”, some fairly informal – a line of vendors’ stalls in a designated car park – and others less so – just a series of roadside stalls. The rest stops are each known for certain types of food. Popular snacks are also sold at the roadside. Look out for pepper shrimps or “swims”, which are available near Black River in the south-west and near Annotto Bay in the north-east.

It’s probably a sensible idea not to stop on dark roads in secluded areas or to pick up hitch-hikers, unless it is Sunday and they are wearing crinoline and a hat. As with anywhere, if you leave your vehicle unattended, you should not leave any valuables in view. This also goes for luggage, so put suitcases in the boot/trunk and make sure the car is locked.

 
Parking

Car parking in Kingston, Montego Bay and large, busy town centres can be limited and you need to be wary about where and how you park, as double parking is common. Public car parks normally charge a flat rate, apart from Sangster International and Norman Manley airports which are time based, starting at J$100 per hour for the first two hours and up to 24 hours for J$300.