St. Thomas bus operators call for subsidies as JUTC clinches customers

 

St. Thomas bus operators say they are feeling the pinch following the roll out of Jamaica Urban Transit Company routes in the parish.

 

JUTC buses have been operating between Yallahs and Kingston, and Morant Bay and the capital city since December 2, 2024. 

 

The Coaster bus operators staged a peaceful protest in Yallahs Square on Tuesday morning to call attention to their plight.

 

They are calling for Transport Minister Daryl Vaz to provide subsidies or other similar assistance to prevent them from going out of business.

 

"We want the Minister fi do something fi wi, man. We are begging you, man. Please, please, we are pleading to you, sir. Because it looks like we are running into a loss, and it looks so bad. If you aguh park, 60 or 70 bus...70 conductor, 70 driver outta a work, is 140 workers that outta work," one operator lamented. 

 

They also want parity in relation to their fares and that of the JUTC.  

 

"Don't get us wrong, we do have a problem with the JUTC. It is a development for the parish, that is for one. Two, it is beneficiary to a lot of people then. But look at us as small investors now. When you bring in the JUTC and the few little passengers that used to take the Coaster now, you drop your fare to almost 50%. Tell me now, how are we going to survive when there is nobody taking the Coasters? Don't drop the fare to 50% a our own. Charge the same thing then, man," another transport operator suggested.   

 

The operators painted a grim picture of their future, should the authorities fail to come to their assistance. 

 

They are worried about the likelihood that they might soon have to park their buses, rendering them unable to provide for their families or send their children to school. 

 

Efforts to reach Acting Managing Director of the JUTC, Owen Ellington, for a comment were unsuccessful.