Dear Editor,

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company notes the experience of one of our commuters with the practice of preaching on JUTC buses over time, in a letter in the Observer of November 1. As the commuter indicated, it can be somewhat challenging for passengers who wish for a quiet, calm atmosphere within the buses, but end up with the realities of loud preaching on a bus in a predominantly Christian society.

It is to be noted that there is no established policy within the JUTC in respect of preaching on the buses, although it is a subject which has come up for internal discussions on a number of occasions in the past. This has followed instances where, for example, passengers have been subjected to simultaneous sermons from competing preachers on the same bus, and instances when verbal clashes have taken place among people of different faith or doctrine in the midst of sermons.

Clearly, the situation lends for encounters which are often rather unpleasant for some commuters, and very much to the contrary, most amusing to others. It is out of this extreme diversity of religion, purpose and spiritual outlook that the JUTC has so far opted not to impose any across-the-board restrictions to the practice of preaching on the buses. After all, should the activity be banned from the units, it would not be long before the company would be bombarded with calls for religious tolerance, etc.

Therefore, we simply ask for such tolerance from the commuters in general, as our operators seek daily to balance between contending views, activities and individuals, all within the parameters of the Jamaican motto: “Out of Many, One People”.

Reginald Allen

Corporate Communications Manager

JUTC

Twickenham Park, Spanish Town

St Catherine