The Jamaica City Transit Firm (JUTC) fleet of autos has been bolstered with the addition of 93 new buses.
The items, which comprise 63 compressed pure fuel (CNG) and 30 diesel coach buses, have been formally handed over on the JUTC’s Portmore Bus Depo in Braeton, St Catherine on Wednesday (July 16).
The brand new autos symbolize part two of the Authorities’s initiative to offer 300 new buses to the State-owned firm over three years as a part of efforts to create a contemporary, dependable, and inclusive transport system.
The primary 100 have been delivered in July 2024.
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, in his tackle on the handover ceremony, highlighted the advantages the extra buses will deliver to the commuting public, and the nation’s wider financial system.
“The funding in new buses and in attempting to create a world-class transportation system… is about setting the framework for development for everybody. It’s about making our financial system extra environment friendly so that everybody who has to make use of public transportation could be extra productive of their private or work endeavours,” he added.
The Prime Minister stated that the nation’s financial stability allowed the Authorities to put money into the transport sector and buy the 93 buses at a price of $2.35 billion.
“We now have achieved financial stability via good fiscal administration and thru institutional strengthening and improvement. The investments that we’re making in public transportation are designed to enhance the consolation and comfort of the travelling public; they’re designed to enhance the affordability,” he identified.
Minister of Science, Vitality, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz, in his remarks, pledged that with the newest injection of buses, the JUTC’s providers shall be drastically improved.
“Immediately is not only a handover ceremony; it’s a milestone, a step ahead in our nationwide journey to ship public transportation that works for all Jamaicans. It’s not a symbolic gesture however a daring sign that the Authorities is delivering safer, cleaner and extra environment friendly transport choices for Jamaicans,” Minister Vaz declared.
He knowledgeable that for the reason that Ministry started increasing the JUTC fleet with 70 buses in 2023 and 100 CNG buses in 2024, service supply throughout the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Area (KMTR) was considerably improved, leading to a rise in income from passenger and constitution journeys.
The Minister famous that the JUTC’s day by day deployment contains 110 CNG buses, six battery electrical buses and one vary extender electrical car, leading to a discount in carbon emissions.
“This implies 53.6 per cent of JUTC’s operable fleet now runs on cleaner, decrease emission applied sciences. This shift, which started in earnest in September 2024 has yielded important value financial savings and environmental advantages, reducing carbon emissions in alignment with Jamaica’s broader sustainable objectives,” Minister Vaz famous.
The CNG buses handed over immediately shall be deployed on routes served by the Spanish City depo, whereas the diesel coach buses will serve the present premium bus routes, and the deliberate long-haul categorical routes from the Half-Means Tree Transport Centre to numerous parish capitals.
An extra seven buses, that are being manufactured to accommodate commuters with particular wants, are anticipated to reach within the island by August 2025.
