Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses damaged

Six buses operated by the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) have been damaged since Wednesday night, raising concerns that it forms part of a coordinated attack on the state-owned company.

One of the buses was destroyed by fire in downtown Kingston shortly after midday yesterday, but the cause of the fire has not been determined.

Reginald Allen, JUTC director of communications, said an attempt was made to set another bus on fire, while four others were stoned, all in the Barbican area of St Andrew between Wednesday night and early yesterday.

He said the stoning incidents have left two of the four buses with their front and rear windshields smashed.

At the time of the attacks, Allen said the buses were either empty or had very few passengers.

He said there was no cause for commuters to be concerned, as the police have been notified and have put measures in place to ensure their safety.

"I have been out there and I have not seen anything to cause any unusual concern," he told The Gleaner yesterday.

Allen would not speculate on the cause of the attacks, which could cost thousands of dollars in repairs, but left little doubt that he believed they were coordinated.

"The company has been adversely affected by aggression from unknown sources with undetermined motives," he asserted.

Linked to taxi man's killing

Reports are that the attacks are linked to the killing of route taxi operator Leroy Berry.

Berry, who is also called 'Coward' or 'Pin Head', of Allman Hill in Above Rocks, St Catherine, was shot and killed by the police during an incident along Dumbarton Avenue, St Andrew, on Wednesday evening.

Taxi operators claimed that Berry, no stranger to clashes with the authorities, had just left night court when he was followed by a sport utility vehicle owned by the Transport Authority.

According to the taxi operators, Berry's vehicle was rammed and a dispute developed during which he was shot allegedly by a policeman who was working with the Transport Authority team.

The Constabulary Communication Network, the police information arm, provided no details on the incident, but said the Bureau of Special Investigations is leading the probe.