KINGSTON, Jamaica — Shadow Minister on Transport, Mikael Phillips, says the projection in the 2024/25 Estimates of Expenditure for the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) to lose a further $16 billion is scandalous.

Outlining that the projection would see the JUTC taking its losses to $26 billion in two years, Phillips in a statement on Friday, said urgent action is now needed, which could not await the passing of the new budget. He said the Auditor General should immediately conduct a detailed forensic, management and performance audit of the company, which has lost in excess of $50 billion since 2016.

“With the level of resources being pumped into the company, the KMTR ought to have a better public transport system, instead of two-hour waiting times, no buses assigned on some routes, dirty units and persistent mechanical breakdowns during service hours”, he said.

Phillips said the fewer buses available to commuters, the more taxpayers have to find to prop up what he described as “an obviously failing institution suffering from a lack of modern transport policies and an absence of effective management.”

He further indicated in the statement that the recent fare reduction, which benefits just over 100,000 rides per day, has not assisted in boosting ridership but is “breaking the back of the company.”

To that end, the shadow minister is calling on the Minister of Transport, Daryl Vaz, to take a fresh look at the company’s operations.

He said the company has deteriorated so much in operations, maintenance and fare collection systems that it is now uncertain whether adding new units alone will cure the problems.

“Comprehensive surgical intervention is required”, Phillips stressed.