Confusion at new transport hub

BY KIMMO MATTHEWS Observer staff reporter matthewsk@jamaicaobserver.com

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

AN apparent lack of communication dogged the first weekday operation of the newly opened Downtown Municipal Transport Centre yesterday as dozens of commuters said they were confused about the locations for connecting buses.

The multimillion-dollar centre, built to address the transportation congestion in the city, was officially opened on Saturday.

“We want the authorities to implement clearer guidelines; is pure confusion going on,” said Ozwald Willis, who was trying to get information as to where he should go to get a bus to Portmore.

He was one of the several angry commuters who complained about the lack of information concerning the changes.

“From morning I have been trying to reach Marcus Garvey Drive, look how close that is to here and the shuttle buses bringing me back and forth and all now a can’t find my bus,” complained a woman who identified herself as Natasha.

Samantha Smith, who was among several passengers travelling on one of the free shuttles that transported passengers from Parade to the transport centre on Water Lane to connect to other buses, said she was disappointed.

“Look at the condition of even the seats in the buses! This is not professional, it is as if they [authorities] rushed to meet the deadline,” she fumed.

“No one is taking time out to explain to us where we should go. This is the third time that I had to take one of the shuttle buses and I still can’t find my bus to go to Marcus Garvey Drive,” said another commuter.

But despite the complaints, corporate communications manager at the state-run Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) Reginald Allen was adamant that things were “running smoothly” and that the JUTC should not be faulted for the glitches.

“From a JUTC standpoint the systems are working, the shuttle buses are on time as you can see, the people are being transported as they should,” he said.

Allen said there were also officers at the bus centre to provide information to persons who were not clear as to where their buses were parked. He promised that a ‘town crier’ would be used to boost communications at the centre.

Meanwhile, several bus operators blamed their colleagues for the confusion.

“The other bus operators need to come off the road and come in the centre,” said Almondo Richards. “There are too many operators staying out on the road; they need to work with the system; that is what is confusing the people.”

Hue Beckford, another bus operator who plies the St Thomas to downtown Kingston route, agreed.

“Getting the other bus and taxi operators to just cooperate is what we need because it don’t make any sense some stay out and some stay in; that is going to make it hard for us,” said Beckford.

Yesterday, the police warned that they would be clamping down on buses that park illegally outside the transport hub, making it hard for the system to flow.

“We have received the concerns and already things are being put in place to ensure that they are addressed,” said Sergeant Barrington Quarrie.

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Confusion at new transport hub