Commuters Urged to Purchase JUTC Smart Cards

As the January 12 opening date for the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre approaches, commuters are being urged to purchase the Jamaica Urban Transit Company’s (JUTC) smart cards.
“We intend to give some incentives for purchase and incentives for use and re-use of smart cards,” said Lenworth Simms, Marketing and Sales Manager at the JUTC.
Mr. Simms, who was speaking at a JIS News Think Tank held on (Jan. 3), said that the cards will be available for purchase at the ticketing centre located in the modern transport facility.
Pointing to the advantages of the smart card, which is a cashless system for paying fares, Mr. Simms said it will provide greater security for bus users. “Having a reliable cashless system will speak to the matter of security and once you have cash in a system, it is attractive for thieves,” he noted. “You want to get people away from paying over cash and using the card,” he added.
The cards, he noted further, are convenient, and commuters can benefit from fare discounts. “It is also an excellent management tool when you have children going to school and you want to minimize the cash they have to walk around with,” the JUTC Marketing and Sales Manager pointed out.
In the meantime, Mr. Simms informed that there are plans to make the smart card more functional.
“Do not be surprised if down the road, the smart card is generating for you points that you can redeem in different sectors. It can, maybe, impact on your overseas travel and it can be a discount card. It will be, not just a card that you use to travel on the buses, it will be a lot more than that. It is going to become the smarter card,” Mr. Simms noted.
Since the launch of the smart card system in 2002, approximately 75,000 cards have been issued. The cards are sold in denominations of $100 and upwards for school children, and $200 and above for adults. Persons may top up their cards as needed.
The cards are available in more than 12 high schools and more than 30 outlets in Kingston, including all post offices.