Opposition Spokesman of Transport and Works Mikael Phillips is warning of a pending crisis and severe chaos in the commuter movement for the start of the new academic year, now just a week away.

In a statement this morning, Phillips said the bus run-out at the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) has rapidly declined over the summer holidays. The company is now dispatching just over 100 units per day, instead of the 260 required by the summer schedule.

He said the effective transit demand in the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR) for the school terms is in excess of 450 buses. 

Consequently, Phillips said, when more than 100,000 students return to classes next week, the JUTC will not be able cope, leading to long delays and late school arrivals.

“This is a clear and imminent danger; we are heading into a period of mayhem in the transport system,” the opposition spokesman said. 

Regrettably, Phillips said, the KMTR could see an increase in illegal operators with dire risks to road safety and passenger security.

Phillips said the Government wasted the summer holidays importing spare parts for the more than 200 out-of-service units sitting idle in the five JUTC depots. He said that, usually, the parts are imported and maintenance is done during the summer break in time to maximise units available to meet the increased demand in September. This year, he said, the importation was woefully inadequate.

The Opposition spokesman said that this morning (August 22), only 117 of a planned schedule of 260 buses were dispatched. He said if the situation is not rectified this week, there will be a chaotic start to the academic year. 

Phillips called for Minister of Transport Audley Shaw to immediately inform the country what plans are in place to avoid the chaos and provide adequate seats to meet the demand. 

In addition, he said, Shaw should provide a status report on the new buses he had announced would arrive in Jamaica to increase the JUTC’s operating fleet.

“My information is that financing was not put in place before the announcement, and the government had difficulties in putting in place finance for the importation of the fifty Chinese units. As a result, the manufacturing schedule was adjusted, and the units will not arrive later this year or early 2023,” he said.

Phillips said the Government had not placed serious priority on providing proper urban transport and the treatment of the JUTC amounted to gross disrespect to the more than 500,000 transit-dependent residents of the KMTR.