With Sunday racing scheduled to start at Caymanas Park on November 29, some service stations in Portmore, St Catherine, are anticipating a jump in business at their pumps on what is traditionally a slow day.
Those proprietors include Jeremy Barnes, who operates the Petcom Service Station located at the Portmore Town Centre.
"We see some jump in sales whenever there's a big match at the Ferdie Neita Park or when Sting is held, so anything that brings people in to the municipality is a good thing," said Barnes, who has been at the location for just over two years.
The Ferdie Neita Park venue in Braeton is where leading National Premier League football team Portmore United plays its home matches, mostly on Sundays. Sting, a dancehall extravaganza held annually on Boxing Day, usually attracts a bumper crowd to the Jamworld complex in Waterford.
At the Shell service station at the intersection of Cumberland and Gregory Park, one of the co-owners is Patrick Lawrence, a self-proclaimed 'church man'.
distinct advantage
The station is a stone's throw from the Caymanas track, which Lawrence says is a distinct advantage. He told Automotives that its best days are on Saturdays at the end of racing.
"We get tremendous traffic coming here on Saturdays when people are going home, it's easily our best day," Lawrence said. "I don't think it will be any different on a Sunday."
Not everyone is expecting significant changes in Portmore, even if Sunday racing takes off. Administrators at TransJamaican Highway Limited, operators of the Portmore leg of the toll road, say they will not boost staff complement.
traffic problems
Portmore Mayor Keith Hinds said he is not expecting any auto congestion, but noted that with the novelty of Sunday racing, there is likely to be an increase in traffic to the Sunshine City.
"I certainly don't think there will be any (traffic) problems, but we always meet with the police to discuss issues and this will be no different," he said.
Two weeks ago, CTL Chairman Tony Hart announced that after years of lobbying, Caymanas Park will finally host Sunday meets. This has not gone down well with church leaders, who say it will encourage more gambling and lead to a decline in values.