No Fare Increase for JUTC

Transport and Works Minister, Michael Henry has said that the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), will not be granted a fare increase at this time.Mr. Henry’s statement comes against the background of what he said are losses in revenue being incurred by the company amounting to between $1 million and $2 million per day.
Making his contribution to the 2008/09 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on May 28, the Minister pointed out that the Ministry and, by extension, the Government, “is not about to grant increases to offset inefficiencies among any service provider.” He further noted that the JUTC team is aware that the company has a number of issues to overcome, in order to realise the level of efficiency that the entity can achieve.
“Hence we took the conscious decision not to give any fare increase until those matters are adequately addressed. When you have millions of dollars in lost revenue daily, and I think they call it some kind of leakage, where your fares are not being turned in, then the Board (of Management) has to plug those loopholes, and make sure that they are plugged permanently, before you can ask the taxpayers to grant you an increase,” Mr. Henry asserted.