Author: @JIS_webmaster7

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company Limited (JUTC) and the Road Safety Unit of the Ministry of Transport and Mining is appealing to students to end the alarming trend of running alongside JUTC buses in the Downtown, Kingston layby.

This practice has attracted growing concern for the Ministry of Transport and Mining, the JUTC, parents and school administrators alike, and poses a serious risk to student and vehicular safety.

In recent weeks, there have been reported incidents of students from schools in Downtown, Kingston, running alongside buses in the bus park, in an attempt to board and secure seating. The behaviour not only endangers the students’ lives and safety, but also the safety of other passengers and road users.

“This practice is extremely dangerous and could lead to serious injury or may even result in death. We witnessed this behaviour in the latter part of December (2022), and unfortunately, it seems to continue even now. We cannot continue to ignore the issue, as to do so would be at our own peril”, noted Corporate Communications Manager at the JUTC, Cecil Thoms.

An urgent appeal is also being made to school officials and parents to speak with their children about the dangers of running after and alongside buses, and the importance of practicing road safety while commuting to and from school. They are also being reminded to encourage students to stand on the curb and wait for the buses to come to a complete stop before approaching it. Approach the bus from the front and wait for the driver to open the door and do not push or shove other passengers.

“The Ministry and JUTC take the safety of all commuters seriously, and we want to remind everyone that running alongside buses is a dangerous practice”, said Deidrie Hudson Sinclair, Director of the Road Safety Unit. “We have engaged the Ministry of Education and Youth, as well as the schools in the area to provide road safety intervention and will be doing so over the coming weeks”.

Parents and students are being asked to take this issue seriously and to work together with the Ministry and the JUTC to ensure the safety of all students and commuters in preventing any future incidents.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the JUTC Customer Portal, an online platform that will vastly enhance service delivery to customers by improving public access and ease of business transactions. Through the portal, customers are able to book charters, apply for sub-franchise licenses, and pay the relevant fees/charges, all from the comfort of their own home. The platform is expected to advance the efficiency with which the JUTC serves its clientele.

Managing Director of the JUTC Paul Abrahams, says the portal is part of the company’s thrust to enhance customer experience and provide greater convenience to customers. “We are constantly seeking ways to meet the changing needs of our clients, and we believe that the launch of the portal is a significant step in that direction.”

Corporate Communications Manager of the JUTC Cecil Thoms, commenting on the use of technology stated, “This online portal was developed in a bid to keep apace of global service delivery and e-commerce trends. It is testament of our commitment to deliver quality client services. The Portal, we believe, will positively transform the way customers engage our services.”

The JUTC Customer Portal is now live and can be accessed via our website at www.jutc.gov.jm. We are confident that users will find the portal user-friendly, easy to navigate, and convenient in accessing the services they require.

We urge all our existing and potential clients to take advantage of this new platform and to provide us with any feedback they may have.

We remain committed to providing customer oriented and modern services to the public transit sector.

As the Government moves towards reducing its carbon footprint to create a more sustainable transport sector, Prime Minister Andrew Holness has launched the first Battery Electric Bus (BEB) for public transportation.

The bus which seats 35 and has facilities for members of the disabled community as well as parents traveling with a stroller, was launched during a ceremony at the Office of the Prime Minister on Monday, January 30, 2023.

Prime Minister Holness noted that the Government is serious about its environmental commitments, as well as its climate change obligations, but stressed that the government is committed to its fiscal arrangements to ensuring that the JUTC does not become a fiscal risk or threat to the government.

“To fullfil all of these commitments (our climate change and environment and fiscal management) the government has to undertake a very comprehensive programme of integrating new technologies into our operations. We started that a few years ago with the introduction of compressed natural gas buses and now we are moving to electric buses. Electric buses offer a great deal of advantages, environmental advantages, practically no emissions, low maintainance and it takes away the theft of fuel” Prime Minister Holness said.

Prime Minister Holness noted that following the launch, the bus will be handed over to the JUTC for an initial testing period of approximately six months to gather empirical data which will be used to determine the next steps regarding BEBs in the public transportation industry.

For his part, Transport and Mining Minister Audley Shaw urged commuters to take care of the bus. He noted that 5 additional BEBs are slated to arrive by the end of next month along with 45 diesel-operated units.

Managing Director of the JUTC Paul Abrahams, lauded the initiative saying the introduction of the BEB is part of the strategic effort of the Company to reduce the use of fossil fuels and thus reduce emissions into the atmosphere. Outling some of the features of the bus, Mr. Abrahams noted that the bus is equipped with dashcams, real-time data collection and low floor capacity to assist members of the disabled community.

An electric bus is one that replaces an internal combustion engine and fuel tank with an electric motor and battery which is powered by electricity, thereby reducing noise and pollution.

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company Limited (JUTC) and the Ministry of Transport and Mining, are pleased to announce that the first electric bus has arrived in Jamaica.

The bus which arrived in the island just over a week ago seats thirty-five (35) and has special needs access to accommodate members of the disabled community.

In another couple of weeks, after the completion of the licensing and insurance processes, as well staff training and sensitization, the JUTC will be embarking on a pilot project to test the unit in anticipation of the arrival of another five (5) electric operated buses expected in the island next year.