MoBay bus service for the disabled A BUS service aimed primarily at helping disabled persons will be expanded into Montego Bay by the end of this fiscal year. Minister of Transport and Works, Dr. Peter Phillips told The Gleaner yesterday that plans were to use at least two of 60 buses which are currently on order to transport the physically-challenged in and around the western city. "I don't have the exact delivery dates...but we are making provision to get two units that we will be able use in the Montego Bay area for the disabled for the same way that we have done in the Corporate Area," said Dr. Phillips following an awards ceremony recognising winners in the inaugural Public Sector Customer Service Competition. "The buses are going to be delivered this year. The delivery dates are something to work out with the companies so I can't tell you when but we can say before the end of the fiscal year, we would have done it." In February, a similar service was launched to transport senior citizens and disabled persons to various routes in Kingston and the Greater Portmore area in nearby St Catherine. The buses can comfortably accommodate six belted wheelchairs and 24 seated passengers. The awardees At yesterday's awards ceremony, 15 companies and two individuals received citations and plaques and in the case of the main prizes, cheques of between $75,000 and $250,000. Two awards went to individuals: Verona Bent of the Constant Spring Inland Revenue Office and Raoul Williams of Swallowfield Examination Depot for courteous and efficient service at yesterday's ceremony. The Social Security division of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security received the top prize, the Prime Minister's award for Best Customer Service Agency. Main awards were also presented to the Swallowfield Examination Depot, which received the Cabinet Secretary's Trophy for Most Improved Customer Service Agency and the Bustamante Children's Hospital for Children, which received the Jamaica Civil Service Association's Trophy for creativity and innovation. Other winners were: The Registrar of Companies, National Housing Trust and the Jamaica Public Service Company for Outstanding Customer Service, the Immigration and Passport Office for dedicated and reliable service and the Registrar General's Department (RGD) for creativity and innovativeness. Best Social Security Office went to Savanna-la-Mar while the best police station and hospital went to the Mandeville Police Station and Mandeville Regional Hospital. There were also two ties, one for Best Revenue Service which was awarded to the Twickenham Park, St. Catherine and Morant Bay, St. Thomas offices; and the other for Best Post office, which went to Greater Portmore, St. Catherine and Nain in St. Elizabeth. Dr. Phillips, who was guest speaker, was "quite pleased" with the competition. "It means that there is a growing awareness about the need for better customer service. If you are going to compete in a globalised, highly competitive world economy then the quality of public services is going to be as important as the productivity of private enterprise in enabling the country to meet the challenges," he said. The awardees were chosen based on nominations and comments from over 16,000 customers, the judges' visits to various public sector agencies islandwide and survey reports from Statistical Institute of Jamaica.
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