JUTC to Get 70 New Buses this Year

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company’s (JUTC) fleet will be bolstered by an additional 70 buses by mid-year, says Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Audley Shaw.

The number includes 50 units that were previously ordered and an additional 20 liquefied natural gas (LNG) buses that will be acquired.

Minister Shaw, who was speaking during Tuesday’s (March 1) sitting of the Standing Finance Committee in the House of Representatives, said personnel from the Ministry will be visiting China within a week to inspect the 50 units, which are being completed.

“We are hoping that once they inspect them, by the end of the month, they should be on the way to Jamaica. That will be 45 diesel buses and five electric buses,” he noted.

The Minister said the way forward for the JUTC has to be “a significant roll out of new buses” and as such, come financial year 2024/25, the plan is to procure an additional 100 to 150 units, including more electric vehicles to enhance efficiency of operations.

In addition, he said that the company will be doing “more aggressive repairs” of some of the older buses.

Turning to developments in the mining sector, the Minister informed that a major private sector interest has sought and received permission to extract rare earth elements from the red mud lakes and that is “on the edge of happening.”

He indicated that another company has applied for exploration of rare earth minerals in over 60 locations across the island.

Minister Shaw said that the interest from local and overseas investors is significant as the country looks to life after bauxite.

He noted that the export of limestone will also be a part of the way forward.

“This is one of the gifts of God that we have that we are now going to be using for export,” he pointed out.