Jamaicans can now expect some improvement in their commuting experience within sections of the country following the arrival of 100 new CNG buses on Monday.
The buses, which were purchased from the Consolidated Fund, were procured at a price of over $3 billion.
Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Daryl Vaz, in his Sectoral presentation in June of this year, announced that 300 new buses are to be added to the Jamaica Urban Transit Company’s (JUTC) fleet, and would for the first time, be purchased using national resources.
The arrival of the 100 buses represents the first phase of a three-phase procurement, and should see the buses available to the public for the upcoming school year, significantly reducing the wait time for commuters.
The other phases include the procurement of an additional 100 CNG buses by the third quarter of the financial year 2024/2025; and the acquisition of the final 100 buses in fiscal year 2025/2026.
In a release on Monday, Vaz said the present acquisition represents his commitment to reducing the misery index of the Jamaican public, and honouring his promise for better service from the JUTC.
“I can say that the commitment has been made and met. We will have 100 new buses in the fleet for back-to-school, which will improve things significantly,” he said.
Daryl Vaz
The buses are equipped with a number of features, including Wi-Fi; a camera system to allow better monitoring of the units; geo-tracking; fire suppression system; electronically controlled air suppression to allow for easy embarking and disembarking of the elderly and physically challenged; lumbar support for the drivers; among many other features. Additionally, ten of these buses are specially equipped for the disabled.
The minister further indicated that commuters will be able to track the movement of the buses through a mobile app.
“These buses are smart buses, and therefore the commuters and the public at large will be able to interact through an app which will allow for them to track these buses to see exactly what time they are expected at the various locations”, said Vaz.
The addition of the 100 new buses will bring the total number of new buses introduced into the public transportation system since May 2023, to 171 units.
