The 50 new Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) that arrived in the island recently are being licensed for deployment over the weekend, the state-owned bus company said.

This will enable the buses to be deployed over the weekend to the various depots to be available in time for the new school year, which starts on Monday, September 4.

Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Daryl Vaz made the disclosure during the post-Cabinet press briefing held today (August 30) at Jamaica House.

Vaz explained that the additional buses, along with those being repaired, will boost the JUTC’s operational fleet to about 315, up from about 140 buses.

“The optimum is about 400 buses, so you can understand the frustration of the public. As of right now, based on emergency procurement of spare parts, we have been able to restore and rehabilitate 125 buses, which gives us 265 buses, without the 50 new buses,” he explained.

“With the 50 new buses we will have 315 buses on the road for back to school. This will alleviate a lot of the frustration and the waiting time, which has been up to two and a half hours for certain routes,” he added.

As to the allocation of buses, the Portmore depot will receive 120 units consisting of active, rehabilitated and new buses. This will include three 34-seater buses for the disabled community; seventeen 49-seater regular buses and 20 of the new buses.

The Spanish Town depot will receive two 34-seater buses for the disabled community and 15 regular 49-seaters. The total allotment will be 99 units, consisting of active, rehabilitated and new buses.

The Rockfort depot will receive five 34-seater buses and eight 49-seater buses, and the total allocation of buses will be 96.

“There is also improvement for the hill routes… 52, 53 and 54. The route from Papine to Half-Way Tree will see improvement and overall waiting time reduced,” Vaz said.

Meanwhile, Vaz announced that 20 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses have been ordered through a framework agreement.

“We are hoping to get six here by November and the other 14 by January 2024,” the transport minister said.

He informed that Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr Nigel Clarke, in his budget presentation, had committed the funding for 100 new electric buses in 2024/25 fiscal year and 100 in 2025/26.