JUTC Grants One Day Amnesty to School Children

On Monday, September 1, students in uniform, who are not in possession of their smarter cards, will be allowed to ride Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses free of cost for the day only.

The company is extending this amnesty to students as it officially rolls out its Electronic Fare Collection System or cashless system on that day.

“I hope that will clear the possibility of any problems for our students on Monday morning,” said JUTC’s Managing Director, Colin Campbell.

He is urging students to make use of this “last reprieve” to get registered and collect their cards on their way to or from school.

Mr. Campbell, who 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, further implored students, who will not start school on Monday, to still put on their uniforms to collect the cards, as they will only be given the amnesty if they are in uniform.

Students may collect their smarter cards from the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre, the JUTC office at East Parade in downtown Kingston and the Spanish Town lay-by in St. Catherine.

The implementation of this new cashless system forms part of efforts to stop revenue leakage at the JUTC.

It will also foster greater efficiency in processing commuters boarding the buses, and allow for operators to focus on safer driving practices and customer service.

In the meantime, Mr. Campbell urged persons, who qualify for a concessionary fare to register and collect their cards at any of the JUTC’s six location by Sunday (August 31).

These are: two in the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre, on the upper and lower level; one at the Spanish Town lay-by; one in downtown Kingston at East Parade; as well as two mobile units.

Mr. Campbell noted that the schedules for the mobile units will be published by the Marketing and Communications Unit of the JUTC. Passengers can only access the concessionary fares by using the smarter cards.

Concession passengers are children three to 11 years old; students aged 12 to 20 in school uniform; the elderly, 60 years and older; and persons with disabilities, who have been issued identification cards by the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities (JCPD).

“Without your smarter card, if you fall in these categories, it will mean that you will have to pay the only fare that the driver can sell…which is (the adult fare of) $120. Therefore, it is very important that persons, who qualify for a Government subsidised ride …access their smarter card so that they can in turn access the correct price of the ride,” he added.