Riding on the JUTC Buses - My Experience Narrated

The Jamaica Urban Transit Corporation (JUTC) has once again

made the headlines and top stories on the Jamaica landscape

particularly after the senseless assassination of its chairman,

Mr. Douglas Chambers on Friday, June 27, 2008. I had promised to write about my experience travelling on public transportation in

Jamaica in my last blog, and my concern then was that it is highly unlikely for the JUTC to ever become a profit-making company for a number of reasons. My reasons are totally different to those already identified by the present government of Jamaica (GOJ), which may have prompted them to seek Mr. Douglas Chambers' services.

A lot of people may disagree with me, but I dare say that in my opinion, the JUTC tries its best to run an efficient transportation system. I spent about ten days travelling on the JUTC (a.k.a. Chi Chi) buses including JUTC express buses after a motorcar accident, which required my car to be in the body shop for a while. I also travelled on 'robot' taxis, chartered taxis, 'robot' buses and the Ezroy Millwood NTCS luxury, air-conditioned buses. Of all the above means of transportation, I was especially impressed with the JUTC buses. I shall confine my writing here to just the JUTC buses, and reserve my discussion of other means of transport in another blog. In general, I found the JUTC bus drivers civil and polite. Only on one occasion did I experience an impolite driver who scolded me for attempting to enter the bus from the front instead of the rear of the bus. Now, I have taken a numberof the JUTC buses and I am yet to decipher which ones you enter from the front of the bus to which ones you enter from the rear.

The Bus Interior:

The buses interior are fairly well kept, except for the littering of everywhere by High School kids (aka schoolers), who suck their bag juices and blatantly dispose of the plastic bag either through the bus windows or on the floor of the buses. There aren't many visible defacing of the interior, possibly because of vigilance by the bus operators or because graffiti isn't exactly part of Jamaica's culture. No litter bins for used tickets are visible anywhere in any of the buses that I took. Perhaps the management of the JUTC needs to look into this as a measure of curtailing the 'litterbugs' (a.k.a. schoolers) riding on these buses. Each bus clearly had a 'No Eating or Drinking’ sign on it, yet eating and drinking are regular, very regular. Indeed, I actually observed on one occasion a 'sky juice' /bag juice vendor enter the bus to sell his product items to schoolers. This contributed to unruly behaviour by many boys and girls, bouncing anything or any person in their path to get to 'juicey man' - all in the presence of a bus conductor!

I actually lost my bracelet watch as a standing passenger during this event, and almost regret ever getting on the bus with my old bones with these juveniles. The bunch of bananas, which I had purchased at the Sovereign super market just before my journey was reduced to pulp in their skins by the time we reached Naggo's Head in St. Catherine. I had to combine this banana puree with mangoes and guava in an impromptu juice later on, although I had purchased the fruit for snacking purposes.

My faith in Jamaica was reinforced when we got to Naggo's Head depot and the conductor returned the lost watch to me. I actually glimpsed my watch as she was locking up her Till. After telling her that my watch had fell from my wrist in the packed bus, the conductor asked me for its colour and description, which I was able to provide. She opened back her till and told me that a passenger handed it to her, having found it on the floor of the bus! How marvellous - this show of honesty by fellow Jamaicans made my day, and I remain convinced that there is hope for the JUTC if the 'bad eggs' are weeded out or redeployed for useful service elsewhere.

My opinion of the JUTC as a business entity:

Despite their best efforts, it is going to be mighty difficult to break even - even after cutting down on the number of excess staff. With the growing global oil crisis, the cost to refuel these buses must be horrendous. The load factor is barely efficient during slack times with the buses carrying as little as twenty passengers on a busy day. This translates into revenue of a mere $1000 per trip during non-peak hours at $50 per adult passenger. During peak period when the load factor moves to 100%, up to ninety percent of this increased passengers are students in uniform who only pay $15.00 per trip by law. So if a bus carries 120 passengers for instance, and 90% are scholars, JUCT's revenue for that trip would appear to be (120 x .9 x $15.00) plus (120 x .1 x $50.00) or $2220 per trip.

I leave it to readers to decide if the JUTC can break even when you factor in the cost of gasoline, maintenance, staffing, security etc.

I would like to use this paragraph to express my sympathy for the family of

Mr. Douglas Chambers, who lost his life to unknown assassinators on June 27, 2008 shortly after concluding what was said to be an amicable agreement

between the Union and the company that he represented. Mr. Chambers

lost his life serving his beloved country. Some of the positive observations

made about the JUTC above may very well have been as a result of some

of the changes taking place at the company through his efforts.

I invite readers to visit the website of the JUTC and see the transformation taking shape day by day. May his soul rest in peace.

Hike in Toll Rates Expected Anytime Now

Portmore Toll plaza (courtesy, Jamaica Gleaner)

The Jamaica Gleaner's headline suggesting a 66% hike in the toll rates sent

immediate jitters down one's spine. What with the current galloping increases

at the gas pumps, consumers cannot take no more even though the spike at

the toll at the Portmore leg of Highway 2000 was anticipated once the appeal

to the Privy Council was lost.

Cabinet accepted a proposal for a hike in toll rates of between 16.6 and 66.6

per cent,with the Spanish Town leg of the toll taking the biggest whack of

66.6% increasing from $60 to $100 for class 1 (motorcars) vehicles.

The Portmore commuters can still count their blessings in that their toll rate

for the class 1 group is going up by a mere $10.00 and this is the first time that

they would experience an increase for that leg of Highway 2000.If the rates

accepted by Cabinet hold, drivers of class 1 vehicles traveling through the

Vineyards Plaza will now pay $230, a $40 hike on what they now pay.

With the hike in gas prices reaching a record high exceeding $86 a litre at some

gas stations, motorists are in a quandary as to how to balance their pocket books.

Living in the suburbs and in the rural parts of the country and having to

commute to Kingston is becoming a real nightmare for most.

During Honourable Mike Henry, Minister of Transport's contribution to the 2008-2009

Sectoral Debate in Gordon House, said there has been a change in the toll policy under

the concession agreement - there will now be an annual review of tariffs by the

developer, instead of the twice-yearly review, with the next possible

review-cum-further increase due in July 2009.

The Government of Jamaica (past and present) has always talked about bringing

back Downtown Kingston to its old glory. Had the talks been put into action over

the years, downtown could be seeing adequate housing solutions and guest houses

that could substitute for the endless commuting, unnecessary energy consumption

and lost productivity. It could help reduce Jamaica's balance of payment, improve

quality of life and even reduce crime and violence in the inner city. A cleaner,

more orderly environment where the richest live side by side with the poorest

of the society could result in better relationship with the Police, less antagonism,

more respect. Won't it be nice to have workers leave their motor vehicles behind

at home and just commute to work in Central Kingston on foot or bicycles?

Don't for a minute think that this is not possible. Government and the private

sector must lead the way.

Jamaicans need to trust each other some more and car-pool to save on energy

and wear and tear on the motor vehicles. If you have not experienced being carried

around in an automobile, and you are not the driver, you ought to give it a try.

I had the mixed fortune of experiencing a motor accident recently and experiencing

having to run to catch the bus, charter a taxi now and then, take the robot taxis,

take the Jamaica Urban Transport Company (JUTC) buses, the JUTC Express,

the Executive bus,bump a ride here and there. While not perfect, the

transportation system being decried by most has come a long way and is a far cry

from what it was 30 years ago when I first came to Jamaica.

I am sold on leaving my car at home at least twice per week to go on

the JUTC buses during the slack period of the day. It is hell during peak hours.

I made some critical observations that should be useful to the

Minister of Transport, and plan to have this available in another blog. Suffice to say

here that the transport service is a social service from the Government of Jamaica

to the Jamaican Taxpayers. It is worse than operating a Non-profit organization

because the latter at least aims to break even.

Tim Russert - 1950 to 2008

The breaking news on CNN.com cable channel of

the sudden loss of Tim Russert brought an unusual

swelling in my eyes followed by uncontrollable tears

running down my face for a few seconds.

Tim Russert was bigger than life every time he is seen on our cable telly -

soft spoken, firm, considerate and reassuring always making his guests comfortable.

He is described as the last man to go home on election night and the first to be on

the air at NBC the next morning. As the person charged with the mandate to fulfill

the mission of the 'Meet the Press' program, each and every Sunday, Tim Russert had

to learn as much he ccould about his guest, what's on the guest's mind - on his or her

issues and then Tim must take the opposite side that helps to cover the burning

questions that Americans want to ask of his guest.

In Tim Russerts own words, "the Meet the Press program becomes a town meeting

for the American people" as well onlookers from around the world, where they all

make an appointment to learn about the US government, fundamental information on education, taxes, war - even peace. Tim Russert had a most enviable, audacious job,

yet he felt blessed to have had the opportunity to step to the plate, reading, thinking

and preparing to meet the press - a task that he took seriously. When he asked his

guests questions that are in the minds of American people, you have the feeling that

you know this man personally.

I am glad that he was able to spend quality time with his family before passing on.

A true father that he was, he was said to have recently returned from Italy where he

and his wife celebrated the graduation of their son, Luke, from Boston. A caring man

that he was, he had also just recently moved his 86 years old father into a more

comfortable home.

Tim Russert departed on Friday the 13th, but Tim represents my definition of a

true icon for Father's Day. His familiar face would forever remain in my memory.

Sleep on Timothy Russert.