The 100 new CNG buses were handed over on Tuesday
.png)
Transport Minister Daryl Vaz and Opposition Spokesman on Transport Mikael Phillips
By Halshane Burke
Transport Minister Daryl Vaz is touting a much-improved Jamaica Urban Transit Company with the addition of 100 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses to the fleet.
Mr. Vaz says the new buses will result in reduced wait time, more productivity, safer commute and improved service and comfort.
He is seeking to assure that so-called 'misery routes', including Spanish Town to Half Way Tree, Spanish Town to downtown Kingston, Greater Portmore to Half Way Tree to downtown Kingston, Border/Above Rocks to Temple Hall and others, will see improvements in service delivery.
"Look out, starting tomorrow morning, and message me if you nuh see bus till bus stone yuh. And I have already mandated that make sure that the efficiency and the wait time is reduced on all routes, including the hill routes," the minister advised commuters.
Speaking Tuesday at a ceremony to officially hand over the buses to the JUTC, Mr. Vaz said eight reconditioned hill route buses will rejoin the fleet on Wednesday, with 16 more to come at a later date.
The Transport Minister added that the CNG buses will result in significant savings in fuel costs.
"It costs $60,000 to fill one diesel bus compared to $20,000 to fill the same bus with CNG, so we save J$40,000 per bus per fill. Just imagine and multiply that by the fleet and you will see where we are. So that is $4 million each time we fuel a hundred buses, which we do every day," he noted.
Transport plan needed
Opposition Spokesman on Transport Mikael Phillips, who was also at Tuesday's handing over ceremony, reiterated the call for a national transportation plan.
Mr. Phillips, while acknowledging that the new buses will make a difference in service delivery, underscored the need for a well structured public transport system.
"More will always be needed and more is needed, and I hope in the coming months we can hear from the minister a national plan on transport because there are some unfinished business," he said, citing the need for a ridesharing policy, rationalisation of the fleets, as well as a plan for rural transport.
Mr. Philips also poured cold water on calls from some quarters to do away with the state run Jamaica Urban Transit Company.
He argued that the JUTC is important to public transport, but conceded that more work must be done to extend the subsidised transportation for children and the elderly to rural parts of the island.
comments powered by Disqus
All feeds
