JUTC to Aid with Search for Missing Children

In consideration of the recent spate of attacks on the nation’s children, Acting Managing Director of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), Bindley Sangster has announced the organisation’s plans to assist with the search for missing children by posting their photographs on the company’s fleet.
“We are mindful of the responsibility to transport all of our passengers, but particularly our children in safety and comfort,” he explained, as he expressed the concern of the JUTC about the growing number children who go missing in the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR).
The photographs will be placed in frames in sections above the bus windows along with the necessary contact numbers, he explained.
“The hope is that we will be able to expose the pictures of the missing children to a larger percentage of the population who might ordinarily not see them. Some of our passengers may come up with useful leads to help us to recover the over 200 children who are still missing since the start of the year,” Mr. Sangster said.
Recent reports reveal that over 700 children went missing between January and September of this year. Mr. Sangster explained that the JUTC deems this project a very important initiative. He said that children comprise up to 60 per cent of the passengers travelling on some JUTC routes.
“The JUTC does not claim authorship of this initiative, as there are similar ones in the United States in which the photos of missing children are placed on milk cartons,” he said.
“However,” he pointed out, “we feel that we are likely to be no less successful in an initiative of that sort because of the sheer number of people we carry on our buses.”
He expressed the hope that sub-franchises such as the National Transport Cooperative Society (NTCS), will pick up on this initiative and also put the photos of missing children on their buses.
“The JUTC will leave no stones unturned in our efforts to help those people who have suffered the unfortunate but very real trauma of having their children missing,” Mr. Sangster said.
Work has also begun with a number of other organizations that are expected to play an integral role in this initiative. An emergency toll-free number will soon be put in place to aid in the quick response, as members of the public will be able to call in information to this line 24 hours per day.