Joseph Cunningham, Gleaner Writer

Jamaica Urban Transit Company buses at the Rockfort depot, in east Kingston. - FILE

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) has obtained 50 new buses, sche duled to 'hit the road' in January.

According to Gwyneth Davidson, communication, marketing and public relations manager at JUTC, "The buses will include Volvos, articulated and 40-seat hill route buses."

With several purchases since its inception in 1998, the state-owned bus company once boasted a fleet of 700 buses, Mrs. Davidson stated.

However, she said, that figure has been reduced by almost 200 buses.

"Now we have about 420 buses that are rolled out every day in the business week," she said. Further, Mrs. Davidson revealed that the JUTC had also acquired spare parts in an effort to avoid total abandonment of some buses.

In the meantime, Leo McQewan, public relations officer at the Ministry of Housing, Water, Transport and Works, said that while the new acquisition was good, "it is still not sufficient."

The JUTC has been struggling financially and was recently faced with a strike by bus drivers and conductors demanding increased salaries.

Additionally, while the JUTC hierarchy ponders new strategies to provide an efficient service and to avoid financial disarray, its customers continue to do their next best out of frustration.

Angry customers

On Wednesday, customers and members of the JUTC administration at the Spanish Town bus terminus in St. Catherine hurled threats at each other after commuters began accusing the JUTC staff of being 'slackers'. A huge crowd of potential JUTC bus passengers then proceeded to board a privately owned coaster.

Buses that provide transportation along the Spanish Town to downtown Kingston route are marked 22 and 22a.

"It has been almost two hours since I have been standing here," said Charlie Harriot, 54, on Wednesday. He added that when travelling home from downtown Kingston to Spanish Town in the evenings he did not get a bus until 7:00 p.m. after leaving work at 5:00 p.m.