The Ministry of Transport and Mining recently held a week long exhibition focusing on the evolution of transportation in Jamaica. The exhibition which was held to commemorate National Heroes Week was entitled ‘From Buggy to Aeroplane: A fi wi Heritage’ and was mounted in the foyer of the Corporate Office on Maxfield Avenue.

The brainchild of the Documentation, Information and Access Services Department, the exhibition traced the evolution of various modes of transportation in Jamaica over the years. Transport featured included the buggy, the dray, the donkey, horse drawn carriage, the tramcar,  the mini bus, the bus, the motorcar, trains, the aeroplane, the ship, the boat as well as the train.

Commenting on the exhibition, Director of the Documentation, Information and Access Services Division, Ms. Rose Thomas said the idea to mount the exhibition came out of a suggestion by her Director following which it was discussed amongst members of her Unit. The requisite research having been done, it was then on to the implementation phase.

“All of us worked diligently to achieve the desired result and we got some encouraging and positive feedback,” she added.

Continuing, she said that research for the project took her down memory lane especially when looking at the tram car era and comparing it with what now obtains in our public transport system.

The Ministry of Transport and Mining has responsibility for all modes of transport in the island, inclusive of land, sea and air.