JUTC drivers from the Portmore, Spanish Town and Rockfort depots are back at work after staging a protest on Monday.
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Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) drivers from the Portmore, Spanish Town and Rockfort depots have returned to work.
The drivers withdrew their service on Monday morning in protest against an incident involving one of their colleagues from the Rockfort depot and the police on the weekend.
The incident occurred on Friday night in downtown Kingston.
The drivers agreed to return to work following a meeting with the police and the management of the JUTC to discuss their concerns.
A JUTC driver from the Portmore depot who was at the protest on Monday told Radio Jamaica News what transpired on Friday night. He said the bus driver involved in the incident had parked in the designated bus lane and a police vehicle with plain clothes officers later came and parked in front of the bus.
When the bus driver was ready to leave, he indicated to the policemen, but was told to reverse. According to the eyewitness, the driver refused, explaining that it was dark and he could not see behind him.
Those officers then called uniformed policemen to the scene.
A video circulating on social media shows the masked driver being pulled from his seat by two uniformed policemen.
Passengers can be heard protesting the actions of the police.
The driver was arrested and subsequently charged.
The charges laid against him include not wearing a mask and resisting arrest.
The driver was released on station bail.
Clifton Grant, First Vice-President of the University and Allied Workers Union, said the Police High Command met with JUTC drivers at the Rockfort depot on Monday.
He said it was agreed that further discussion would be held at a later date, so the drivers ended their protest and returned to work.
"We have been given some undertaking by the police and we are to have further discussion to ensure that the JUTC workers, in discharging their duties, do not undergo any undue harassment from whether the police or any member of the public," Mr. Grant revealed.
There were crowds of commuters at bus stops as the protest resulted in lengthy delays.
The gap left by the JUTC was quickly filled by coaster buses and illegal taxis.
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