Category: News

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) will be adding 100 buses to routes in the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR) as of Monday (September 1).

This will bring the number of buses in operation to 445, said the bus company’s Managing Director, Colin Campbell.

He was addressing a media briefing at the JUTC’s Spanish Town Depot in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine on August 27, following a tour of several JUTC locations.

He noted that up to the end of the last school term, the JUTC operated 400 buses, which were then reduced to 345 during the summer period.

“So, on Monday morning, there will be an additional 100 JUTC buses on the road and we expect that this will provide full service for the entire KMTR,” he said.

Mr. Campbell assured that the buses will be running according to a schedule, as the company works to improve the quality of its service to the public.

“We will not just be throwing 445 buses on the road, but we will have a schedule of every single route, all 120 routes that the JUTC operates,” he said.

He informed that those schedules will be posted in the JUTC’s transport centres; on its website http://www.jutc.com/, on flyers; and they will also be published in the two major newspapers on Sunday, August 31.

“So, everybody will be able to buy a copy of the Gleaner, or the Observer on Sunday and you will be able to keep that schedule and select the route that applies to you,” he said.

“You will be able to see how many buses are on that particular route and what is the frequency, what is the first arrival or first departure time in the morning, and you’ll be able to know that “on my route, there is a bus every 10 minutes or every five minutes’ and you’ll be able to plan your life according to that schedule,” Mr. Campbell said.

Prior to the media briefing, the Managing Director, accompanied by several JUTC executives, led a tour of the company’s Spanish Town Depot, Portmore Depot, the Ashenheim Road Maintenance facility and the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre.

Several of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses, which were out of service for lengthy periods, have been repaired in time for the start of the new school term, starting on September 1.

This follows an intensive maintenance programme carried out by the JUTC during the summer period.

Managing Director of the JUTC, Colin Campbell, says this is one of the strategies which have been employed by the company to improve its level of service in the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR).

“We expect that once we roll out on Monday morning (September 1), the service to the KMTR will be at an even higher level than it was in the last school year. We intend to carry all the passengers and more than we did last year,” he said.

Mr. Campbell was addressing a media briefing at the JUTC’s Spanish Town Depot in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine, following a tour of several JUTC locations yesterday (August 28).

He noted that while 445 buses will be dispatched for September 1, the repaired buses bring to 503, the total number of buses now available in the JUTC fleet.

“This will enable us to have a reliable service, because if a bus goes down, we can always substitute,” he said, adding that the JUTC has never been in better health, “as far as our fleet is concerned and we intend to keep it that way.”

He noted that several of the buses that were out of service were relatively new units that used to be “cannibalized”, because of the lack of spare parts, where parts would be taken from them to fix other buses.

“A number of our buses, I think almost 30 buses, were out for long-term repairs, meaning buses that were out for more than 365 days. In some cases, buses were out for up to 700 days parked in our garage because they were cannibalized,” he said.

Mr. Campbell said it is intended that the repaired buses will be kept in service now, due to the “very tight policy of no cannibalisation of units in the JUTC.”

Prior to the media briefing, the Managing Director, accompanied by several JUTC executives, led a tour of the company’s Spanish Town Depot, Portmore Depot, the Ashenheim Road Maintenance facility and the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre.

Up to Friday, March 28, only  43 or 13 per cent of the 319 operators approved to operate under the new Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) sub-franchise system, had done the necessary due diligence to begin operating on Tuesday, April 1.

This was noted by the JUTC’s Managing Director, Colin Campbell, at a meeting with the licencees on March 29, at the Elletson Road Police Station, in Kingston.

Mr. Campbell implored operators who have not yet done so, to submit their documents to the Island Traffic Authority and have their buses colour-coded according to the stipulations of the new agreement, by the April 8 deadline.

The meeting was held to facilitate dialogue between the JUTC and its licencees to ensure a seamless transition on April 1.

He reminded the operators that although the implementation date is April 1, there will be a seven-day grace period for non-compliant operators to regularize their operations.

Mr. Campbell said the police are fully aware of the grace period and will not impose any sanctions during that time.

The Managing Director advised the licencees that they will be required to sign a contract that outlines the responsibility of the parties in the sub-license arrangement, and explained that the contract will be valid for a period of one year, and that renewal for periods of one, three or five years will be based on performance.

Operators who expressed concern that they may not be able to become compliant by the given deadline were assured by Mr. Campbell that representation will be made on their behalf to extend the deadline, at a meeting with the Police Commissioner  on Monday, March 31.

Mr. Campbell said that the JUTC team will be meeting with the Commissioner to outline the enforcement issues they have experienced over the years, and told the operators that, “the same interest we have in the JUTC buses is the same interest that will be shown in yours.”

Manager of the JUTC’s Franchise Protection and Inspection Department, retired Senior Superintendent of Police, Radcliffe Lewis, informed the drivers that they will be taken through the route familiarization process at the earliest possible date, to ensure that no one deviates from the routes during operation.

The sub-franchise licencees were reminded that based on the new requirement that they wear an identification card issued by the JUTC, they will be entitled to some of the privileges of JUTC employees,  such as riding JUTC buses free of cost.

In 2013, the Government improved the way Jamaicans commute, by enhancing the operations of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), tidying up the public transportation system, and launching a major road safety campaign.

More JUTC Buses

The fleet of JUTC buses plying routes across the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR) was increased from 244 to 350 during the year.

This was facilitated through the introduction of a number of buses, which the state-run entity acquired.

Improved Customer Service

The JUTC also rolled out several initiatives aimed at improving the quality of service provided to passengers travelling on its buses.

These included: training of staff in customer service; phased implementation of the cashless fare system; increasing the number of buses in operation; and the new ‘Park and Ride’ service for Portmore, St. Catherine.

Removal of Free Transfer System

In November, the state-run bus company discontinued its free transfer system in a move to save some $500,000 to $600,000 daily, or $150 million per annum.

The new system, which requires passengers transferring from JUTC buses in Half-Way-Tree to other destinations, to pay, is part of the drive to prevent, and mop up revenue losses, which amount to $250 million monthly. It will also help to eliminate fraud.

Bus Service for Students

Students residing in the Portmore, St. Catherine, region now have the benefit of a structured and efficient transportation system, following the launch of this new service in September.

The School Transport Programme is a joint venture between the Transport Authority and the St. Catherine School Bus Association.

Improving Commuting

The JUTC, on November 1, implemented a pilot for a designated bus lane, aimed at alleviating traffic congestion along the Mandela Highway, particularly during peak hours. For the three-month trial period, the westbound dual carriageway is being converted to a two-way traffic from Caymanas Bay to the Plantation Heights entrance from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on weekdays and from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the opposite direction.

Driver Training

In August, a batch of 541 persons were certified for having successfully completed a Public Passenger Vehicle Driver and Conductor Training Programme, carried out by the Transport Authority in collaboration with the HEART Trust/NTA. The course covered the laws governing the transport sector, customer service, conflict resolution, and defensive driving techniques.

Innovative Approach to Reducing Repair Costs

The bus company and the HEART Trust/ NTA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see JUTC buses being repaired by persons trained by the HEART, at a depot on Lyndhurst Road, in Kingston.

Increasing earnings for JUTC II

The Transport Ministry also worked on widening the client base of the Jamaica Ultimate Tyre Company (JUTC II), to include more public and private sector customers, as it sought to maximize earnings and realize savings for the Government. Also, as part of enhancing the fleet and safety, the JUTC II provided more than 400 new and retreaded tyres for buses in time for the start of the new school year.

‘Walk, Ride and Drive for Life’ 

The Ministry renewed efforts to influence behaviour change among road users through the public education campaign ‘Walk, Ride and Drive for Life’, which was led by the Road Safety Unit, and featured a series of Road Safety tours across the island.

The road tours saw the Ministry and its partners using a road safety decorated truck to transmit the ‘road safety messages’ at various town centres with the assistance of popular personalities from the entertainment fraternity and the police

NRSC Is Recipient of International Road Safety Award

The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) received the 2013 Prince Michael of Kent International Road Safety Award, in recognition of its programmes and activities that have resulted in significant reductions in traffic accidents and fatalities across Jamaica.

His Royal Highness, Prince Michael of Kent, presented the award to NRSC Chairperson, Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Portia Simpson Miller, during the Council’s 20^th anniversary commemorative banquet at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston, on April 17.

Rehabilitation of Examination Depots

The Government embarked on a programme to rehabilitate the Island Traffic Authority (ITA) Examination Depots across the island.

Some $38 million is being expended during the current financial year, to undertake improvements to five of the 15 depots. This involves upgrading of the buildings and provision of technology to reduce manual processes. Work on the physical plant at the St. Ann’s Bay facility is almost complete, while repairs are at various stages at the other depots located at: Spanish Town in St. Catherine, and Swallowfield; Harbour View; and Spanish Town Road, in St. Andrew.