File photo showing a portion of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company fleet.
March 13, 2025
A bold strategy to revive Jamaica’s ailing bus system
Dear Editor,
Despite a $1.8-billion budget expansion, Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) remains plagued by inefficiencies — only 250 of its 514 buses roll out daily, losses are projected at $11.4 billion for 2023/2024, and service gaps frustrate both workers and passengers. But this isn’t a requiem — it’s a call to arms.
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JUTC can be salvaged, but it requires bold, data-driven reforms. This blueprint lays out the path to profitability and efficiency, ensuring the company transitions from a money-losing entity into a well-oiled public transport powerhouse.
JUTC serves 145,000 daily riders across Kingston, St Andrew, Portmore, and rural outposts like Chapelton in Clarendon. It’s the circulatory system of Jamaica’s economy, yet it’s haemorrhaging cash. The $50 adult fare (down from $100 in 2023) may have filled seats, but it covers just 30 per cent of operating costs. The rest comes from taxpayer-funded subsidies, placing a heavy burden on the national budget.
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Key challenges include:
•A shrinking fleet: Of 514 buses, only 250 are active, leaving 264 idle.
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•Rising repair costs: Maintenance expenses exceed $300 million annually.
•Fuel dependency: 300 diesel buses are costly to operate, despite the introduction of 114 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses in July 2024, which reduce fuel costs from US$400 per diesel tank to US$130 per CNG fill-up — a potential US$20,000 daily savings.
•Labour inefficiency: With 1,248 drivers for just 250 buses, overstaffing and inefficiencies are rampant.
•Lost revenue streams: Fuel theft (previously a $100-million annual problem) has been reduced, but fare evasion, low digital adoption, and a failure to capitalise on advertising and ancillary services continue to weaken revenue streams.
Despite these issues, signs of progress are emerging. The SmartFare card, launched in full on March 4, 2025, is expected to generate $1.5 billion in revenue over the next year. Portmore Depot alone moved 2 million passengers between September and November 2024, proving that demand is there. However, demand alone isn’t enough — service gaps and financial haemorrhaging threaten the system’s long-term viability.
I would like to recommend a three-pronged approach to profitability:
1) Revenue surge
•Adjust the flat $50 fare to a distance-based model: urban routes, $70 (for example, Half-Way-Tree to downtown Kingston); express or long-distance routes, $120-$150; and premium night runs, $200 (for late-night routes serving nightlife districts and business process outsourcing workers)
•Cashless incentives: Charge a $15 penalty for cash payments to encourage digital adoption. SmartFare usage should be pushed to 80 per cent of riders, saving $60 million annually in cash-handling costs.
•Advertising expansion: Introduce digital route info and ad screens on 200 buses ($800 million potential revenue) and sell billboard space at high-traffic depots (Spanish Town, Lyndhurst, and Portmore), targeting $200 million in additional income.
•Wi-Fi monetisation: Offer $100 weekly subscriptions or a $400 monthly pass; target 50,000 subscribers across 200 buses, generating $20 million per month ($240 million yearly); and add a $50 daily pass option for casual riders, adding $60 million annually. Projected Wi-Fi revenue is $300 million per year.
•Light cargo service: Repurpose 20 off-peak buses to transport small business cargo (farm produce, e-commerce deliveries) between depots, targeting $400 million annually.
2) Cost mastery
•Optimise staffing: Cap the number of drivers at 600 (2.4 drivers per bus) while redeploying 300 employees to cargo, SmartFare kiosks, or maintenance teams. Implement performance-based pay ($5,000 bonuses for punctual routes and fuel efficiency), reducing overtime costs by $280 million annually.
•Expand CNG conversion: convert 150 diesel buses by 2027 at a cost of $60 million, cutting $1.3 billion annually in fuel expenses.
•Predictive maintenance and sub-franchising: Use artificial intelligence diagnostics to halve repair costs to $150 million and expand sub-franchising of idle buses to 50 private operators, earning $220 million annually. Total projected savings is $1.95 billion.
3) Service Revival
•Increase fleet utilisation: Repair 150 idle buses by quarter three (Q3) 2025, adding 400 daily roll-outs (investment: $80 million); expand rural and express routes, focusing on demand-driven corridors like Spanish Town Road and Clarendon’s Chapelton-May Pen route; and pilot 10 micro-transit vans (15-seaters) for underserved areas like Bull Bay.
•Night bus service: Launch 11:00 pm to 1:00 am services in Kingston, Portmore, and Spanish Town. Charge a premium $200 fare to capture late-night commuters.
•Technology upgrades: Deploy a JUTC mobile app by June 2025 for real-time tracking, fare top-ups, and customer feedback; install USB chargers and free 15-minute Wi-Fi access per ride to improve rider experience. Projected ridership growth to increase by 38 per cent.
•The financial roadmap: With targeted revenue generation and cost reduction, JUTC’s $11.4-billion loss can shrink to $3.53 billion by 2027, a 58 per cent improvement, with profitability projected by 2028.
Unions will resist staffing adjustments. Mitigate this by guaranteeing no layoffs; instead, offer retraining and internal job transfers. Commuters will balk at fare increases. But this can be countered with visible service improvements, like faster buses, better amenities, and reliability.
Commuters shouldn’t have to wonder if a bus will arrive on time. The blueprint now exists. The only question is whether Jamaica will act. The time to save JUTC is now. Let’s get moving.
Janiel McEwan
janielmcewan17@gmail.com
