The Government of Jamaica will soon implement a pilot project that is expected to facilitate the process of a cashless fare system for customers who use the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses.

Minister of Transport and Mining Audley Shaw gave the update during his contributions to the 2023-2024 Sectoral Debates today (May 9).

“The current fare collection system used by the JUTC has become obsolete. The procurement process for an upgraded Cashless Fare Collection System was significantly advanced, however, it was redirected for
consideration by the Public Investment Appraisal Branch (PIAB),” said Shaw.

The minister said that the pilot project will see the cashless system operating on all JUTC buses at no cost to citizens.

“The outcome of this pilot will assist the process of review by the PIAB and further guide the way forward,” said Shaw.

The Government had promised to implement a cashless fare system in November last year, with projections that the system would be in place by February 2023.

At the time, JUTC Managing Director Paul Abrahams said that the final bid from the prospective supplier was submitted and the bus company was awaiting approval from the Transport Ministry.