Five transport operators have been charged and 2 others are being  interrogated, after the Transport Authority detected  operators using fraudulent badges.

The discovery was made  during operations in Westmoreland on Tuesday.

Since then, the Authority has intensified road operations across the island to determine the extent of the use of fake badges.

Managing Director of the Transport Authority , Ralston Smith says  the Authority will continue  to take swift and decisive action against the perpetrators of this crime,  to avoid any possible threat to the safety of the commuting public.

He is encouraging operators to  resist the temptation from unscrupulous persons who  produce the fake badges.

Mr. Smith stresses that the Authority  has the technology to detect whether or not a badge is authentic.

The wearing of driver/conductor badges is a pre-requisite for operating public passenger vehicles under the road traffic regulations .

Meanwhile, the authority is urging PPV operators to use the legitimate means to apply for and collect their badges.

Badges to operate in the sector can only be obtained by applying to the authority, completing the training and maintaining a clean record.