By Nagra Plunkett, Staff Reporter
THE JAMAICA Urban Transit Company Limited (JUTC) says it has sold approximately 20,000 Smart Cards since the inception of the fare payment system last December.
Errol Lee, public relations manager at the JUTC, said company data show that 15,000 cards were purchased up to March of this year. The number of card-purchasing outlets now stands at 18, eight more than when the system was just introduced
"By (this) week we should be at 25 outlets, these are mainly pharmacies and service stations," said Mr. Lee. "A company called ASI is the one we're using to implement the system."
The $200 million system was created to minimise the use of cash in the transport buses, improve accountability and revenue collection, as well as to make the JUTC workers and buses less attractive as targets for robbers.
According to Mr. Lee, ASI's system has already been set up in 83 outlets in the Corporate Area and eventually JUTC Smart Cards will be available at all these locations. As an incentive for commuters to start using the cards, the JUTC is at present offering a "10 per cent discount" on all purchases until the end of this month.
