THE EDITOR, Sir:
TRAVELLING IN Jamaica by road has become a nightmare, and I make specific reference to commuting from Spanish Town, St. Catherine to downtown Kingston.
The chief mode of public transport is either by the JUTC buses or Coasters. These Coasters are slated to take a certain number of passengers, four per row, but they stuff five or six across each row and commuters take this, suffer the squeeze, the crushed-up clothing and the loud music with unmentionable types of lyrics blasting. Not all of them, granted, for some try to please, by playing religious music or the regular radio programmes.
Nevertheless, some passengers feel harassed by these, and so call on drivers to stop 'dem de kina music'. They like the nastiness and the belittling of women that are sung by some of these artistes. Do they have mothers? Do they have girlfriends, wives or daughters?
Most of these Coaster drivers violate all the rules of driving on our streets, yet they are packed daily. Will the trains ever roll again? The train lines are overgrown with trees and shrubs. I live out of Spanish Town, but I see and hear the bauxite trains daily.
THE GOVERNMENT'S SOLUTION
The Government is building highways. Parts of the sugar cane lands are being used to build highways. More and more vehicles are brought into the island daily and so our streets are crowded with motor vehicles. A large number of these privately owned units carry only one person. Do drivers no longer car-pool? Is it because of the violence why this is not done? Are we too selfish?
Government will earn more money from the motor vehicle industry rather than the rail service, which they have leased to a foreign company for 'corn grain' per year, yet, the trains are nowhere in sight.
If the trains were rolling there would be fewer motor vehicular accidents. I want the truck drivers to earn their living too, but some are tired from hauling luggage and goods across the island and our roads are in a most deplorable condition to accommodate them. They sometimes fall asleep while driving.
It is pathetic to see the children asleep, whether on the buses, or cars in the mornings and evenings. They need to get their proper rest, but because of transportation, or rather travelling woes, they have to be out of bed 'before day' to get to school. The same is true for our adults. Spanish Town is less than 20 miles from Kingston, yet it takes nearly two hours to complete that journey in the mornings and evenings.
TAKE A STAND
The recent conversion of the Spanish Town by-pass or highway has, in my opinion, made road travelling WORSE. The work on the round-about at the Jose Marti High School has ceased for sometime now. Why? Lack of funds? Violence? Why?
Commuters, unite!. Do not accept travelling on the coasters, seated five in a row for $50 each. The same coaster charges $50 from Spanish Town to Kingston and on the return journey the fare is $40. On Saturdays and Sundays the cost is $40 both ways on some of these coasters. Why the change? The JUTC buses are there. They are making their rounds.
The number of passengers each bus is designed to carry is published or printed on a panel on the bus but even when the number is reached, the conductor does not ask the passengers coming on to step back or tell the driver not to pick up any more, but the passengers are packed like sardines and some are sent to ENTER through the front door.
Mr. minister of transport, please do something to help us. Why not have an express or premium express bus from Spanish Town to downtown Kingston as we have for uptown, New Kingston, Papine, etc.?
I am, etc.,
RISTA
Golden Acres
Spanish Town
