COVID crashes JUTC earnings

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company Limited (JUTC) says its revenue intake has plunged owing to the impact of COVID-19.

Managing director of the state-owned bus company, Paul Abrahams, said the JUTC’s monthly revenue has declined from about $300 million before the onset of COVID-19 to $143 million.

Further, Abrahams reported that about 100 buses are in disrepair.

He told members of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on Tuesday that the company had challenges getting parts overseas as a result of the pandemic. However, he said with an influx of parts in recent times, the company was now seeking to increase its daily roll-out of buses from the current 260 to 375 by the end of March.

The JUTC managing director also reported a reduction in personnel at the company to 1,914 as at December last year.

He said the company had some 2,300 employees on its pay bill in 2016.