THE JAMAICA Urban Transit Company (JUTC) says it will be issuing more precautionary advisories and installing protective bars to reinforce any vulnerable areas in its buses.
This follows two incidents in which people have fallen from moving buses.
Keith Goodison, the JUTC's vice-president of human resources and public relations, confirmed the latest development yesterday.
At the same time, the bus company is calling on passengers, whether they are using regular or chartered buses, to observe bus regulations and keep away from emergency exits except in case of emergencies.
The JUTC issued the reminder along with regrets and condolences in a release on Monday, 24 hours after 13-year-old Roshauna Anglin was killed and 33-year-old Althea Henry was hospitalised after the two fell through an Emergency Exit window while returning from a funeral in a chartered bus. The incident occurred on Sunday along the New Broughton main road in South Manchester.
Reports are that Roshauna and Miss Henry were among a number of persons returning from a funeral in Manchester. Several persons were reportedly seated on the headrests with feet on the seats while others were dancing and singing. The bus went around a corner and someone reportedly lifted the latch keeping the window closed while using the lever to balance. Sometime later, Roshauna came into contact with the window and fell through. Miss Henry also fell as she tried to rescue Roshauna.
Just last week, there was another incident involving persons who fell when they braced against some windows as another JUTC bus negotiated a corner near Rockfort, eastern Kingston. The glass broke and they fell out. Mr. Goodison said bars have since been put across the windows in that bus for the additional protection of passengers.
