10 Buses Added to JUTC Regular Fleet

The last 10 of the 50 buses that were acquired by the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) for Cricket World Cup 2007 were commissioned into service on September 12, to augment the transportation system. This was disclosed by Senior Vice President of Operations, Desmond Creary, at a JIS Think Tank on September 12.
“We strive to provide customer friendly service,” Mr. Creary said, adding that, “all the new buses are air-conditioned and fitted with surveillance cameras.”
Highlighting changes coming on stream shortly, Mr. Creary pointed out that, “all routes coming through Half-Way-Tree, which is 30 to 40 per cent of our network, will terminate there at the new Transport Centre, where commuters will make transfers.” He described this as a major change that would improve trip times, lower maintenance costs and downtimes and allow for completion of more trip cycles.
Also included in the operational changes are the addition of a Portmore hub and a transport centre in downtown, Kingston.
In addition to regular commuter bus service, the JUTC has a 20-route premium bus service, which it operates with a fleet of luxury buses that are also used for special charters. There is also an express service for which fares vary based on travel distances.
The express service fleet has been boosted with the addition of 26 air-conditioned units and according to Mr. Creary, “all new buses for the JUTC fleet will be air-conditioned and equipped with surveillance cameras.”
The JUTC has 2,500 staff members ranging from drivers and customer service attendants (conductors), to maintenance mechanics, administrative personnel, inspectors and managers. The bus company transports approximately five million passengers over two million kilometres monthly, which is expected to rise this year to seven million passengers.
“The JUTC has achieved much in the relatively short period since coming into existence in 1998 with a school bus service,” Mr. Creary said. “We added the eastern routes in 1999 and the Portmore service by 2001 after acquiring the routes from the original franchise holders and we have used technology to significantly enhance the safety and reliability of our service,” he noted.
Mr. Creary said that the accident record of the JUTC buses has improved, because “we have improved defensive driving training and the monitoring of drivers.”