Cashless System on All JUTC Premium Buses July 1

Come July 1, the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), will begin operating a cashless system on all its premium buses, which are the large luxury units which ply the out-of-city routes.
Speaking today (June 24) at a JIS ‘Think Tank’, Marketing and Sales Manager at the JUTC, Lenworth Simms, explained that this cashless system means that, “only Smart Cards will be accepted on these premium buses.” There are some 30 buses and 20 routes that will be affected by the system.
“This (the premium buses) is where we are focusing first and eventually to go cashless with the express buses and then the regular buses,” the Marketing and Sales Manager pointed out.
To effectively bring about the change, Mr. Simms noted that smart cards are currently being sold by JUTC revenue agents and sales representatives on the premium buses, to assist customers to acquire their cards before the effective date.
Additionally, drivers are asked to make frequent announcements via the public address (PA) systems which are fitted in the buses to assist in sensitizing persons of the changes.
“Drivers in these buses build relationships with their clients and are communicating with them on a daily basis, keeping them in the loop, advising and reminding them of the cashless system,” Mr. Simms pointed out.
He informed that throughout the month of June, the JUTC has been offering an additional 20 per cent to all customers who purchase or top-up their smart cards at the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre and the Spanish Town Lay-by.
“We want to remind our commuters that it is always convenient to use the smart card. In terms of robberies, it certainly makes the system less attractive to that eventuality.it speaks to convenience, it speaks to security,” Mr. Simms stressed.
The premium routes that will be going cashless as of July 1 are:. 121 – Innswood Village to City. 123 – Spanish Town to Cross Roads. 124 – Ebony Vale to City. 125 – Green Acres to Cross Roads. 126 – White Water to Cross Roads. 127 – Angels Estates and Eltham to Cross Roads. 128 – Angels Estates and Eltham to Papine. 129 – Angels Estate to City. 130 – Longville to City. 295 – Harbour View to Half-Way-Tree. 301 – Hellshire to Cross Roads. 303 – Christian Gardens to Papine. 308 – Portmore Pines to Papine/New Kingston. 312 – Cumberland to Cross Roads. 314 – Cumberland to New Kingston. 315 – Greater Portmore to City. 316 – Greater Portmore to Cross Roads. 318 – Greater Portmore to Papine. 320 – Greater Portmore to Cross Roads and New Kingston