JUTC leaking cash
Published:Friday | October 12, 2018 | 12:00 AM
THE EDITOR, Sir:
Revenue is being lost daily by the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC).
First, it's ridiculous that a bus travelling, say, to Portmore, should be sent on its way with sometimes up to four front seats to the left of the driver all wet from the malfunctioning air conditioner above.
Why not turn off the A/C and open the windows, or better yet, do not send the buses on such a long journey where commuters have to stand and watch the waterfall.
If the A/C can't be fixed, put those buses on the shorter distances and give the long-distance commuters a much-needed seat.
The Smarter Card was a good idea at first, but there are negatives. Students are notorious for losing their cards, and when this happens, they are forced to take a taxi, because the cabbie only charges $50, while the JUTC policy is $100 without a card.
Even the elderly are taking the taxis and paying only $50 when they lose or forget their cards. Why can't the JUTC take $50 from a student/elderly without a card ?
Bus scheduling is not rocket science, and no matter how scarce the resources are, proper scheduling will go a long way in reducing the waiting time at the bus stops.
There should never be two buses going in the same direction directly behind each other because the schedule must be out of sync.
It's nonsensical to have two buses with the same number in a line at a bus park, and while one is loading, the other is waiting with its doors closed, and commuters are everywhere waiting on another number bus.
XAVIER PAYNE