KINGSTON, Jamaica— With the rolling out fewer buses on a monthly basis resulting in a significant fall in passengers and fare income, the management of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) will be hoping that the recent arrival of 100 new CNG buses will help to turn around the company’s fortunes.

According to the 2023 edition of the Economic and Social Survey Jamaica (ESSJ), the average number of buses operated monthly by the JUTC in the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR) last year, fell from 179 to 148, the sixth consecutive year of decline.

Consistent with the fall in the number of buses dispatched, was a decline in the associated indicators. Revenue passenger trips were 13.9 million in 2023 compared to 18.1 million in 2022. Fare income fell to $1.2 billion from $1.6 billion while revenue from charter trips came in at $87.3 million in 2023 compared with $84.6 million the previous year.

The ESSJ said the number of New Smarter Cards issued was 5,682, a decline of 3,768 relative to 2022 with revenue intake decreasing by $79.3 million to $357.4 million in line with the fewer number of cards issued.

“This out-turn accounted for 28.8 per cent of fare income, compared with 27.7 per cent in 2022,” the survey said.

In the KMTR, the JUTC operated 65 regular, 28 express, 27 premium and three special service routes, as well as the provision of charter services. Complementary services were provided by 293 sub-licencees operating on 43 routes relative to 289 sub-licencees operating on 38 routes in 2022.