Bus stop!
Published:Thursday | January 6, 2011 | 12:00 AM
JUTC forgoes operations at new transport centre
Edmond Campbell, Senior Staff Reporter
A senior executive of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company Limited (JUTC) has admitted that the company has shelved plans to operate out of the Water Lane transportation centre in downtown Kingston, due in part to fears of falling into deeper financial losses.
At yesterday's meeting of the Infrastructure and Physical Development Committee of Parliament, the revelation sparked questions about whether route taxi operators assigned by the Transport Authority to the new facility would also abandon the Downtown Transport Centre.
The JUTC management was also unable to give any assurance, at least for the short term, that thousands of commuters who would converge on North and South Parade daily to access the entity's services as of January 15 would have a facility to shelter from the sweltering heat of the sun or from the rain.
During the committee meeting, Paul Abrahams, managing director of JUTC, faced a volley of questions on critical issues in relation to commuters who would access the service at South and North Parade.
Among the issues raised by committee members was whether there were adequate sanitary facilities at Parade for commuters.
The JUTC head conceded that there were concerns about shelter and sanitary conveniences, but noted that this was not in the purview of the bus company.
Greene satisfied
Town Clerk Errol Greene, who appeared before the committee later in the day, said he was satisfied that the refurbished sanitary conveniences in the St William Grant Park and at the corner of Church and Barry streets were adequate to accommodate the expected increase in commuter traffic.
However, an agitated committee chairman, Robert Pickersgill, chided Abrahams for proposing a terminus at Parade without any facility for commuters.
"Put up something to keep the people out the sun hot and the rain," Pickersgill demanded. "You see, that is how we judge the society, how we treat the poor, elderly and the children and that don't sound right to me."
Abrahams, responding to committee member Everald Warmington's queries about why the JUTC has decided against operating from Water Lane, said the move was a policy decision by the Government.
He divulged, however, that the JUTC was concerned that if activities at Parade "were not controlled, then the JUTC buses would be sitting in the Water Lane location empty".
By mid-month, the JUTC will dispatch some 194 buses to transport passengers from Parade.
Abrahams said the company was expected to increase its ridership by between 30 and 40 per cent due to its proposed exclusive service out of Parade.
The company said it would dispatch six to eight buses to provide a shuttle service for commuters from Water Lane to Pechon Street and Parade. It will cost the company some $60 million annually for this service.
Subfranchise operators will now utilise the Pechon Street bus facility which was previously used by the JUTC buses plying the Portmore route.
During yesterday's committee meeting, it was disclosed that the JUTC continues to haemorrhage, racking up losses of $100 million per month.
Marcia Hamilton, vice-president of finance and corporate planning at the state-owned bus company, said the entity was projecting a net loss amounting to $550 million for the period ending March this year. The company had budgeted a net loss of $789 million.