THE cross-country bus company, Knutsford Express Ltd, offered customer service improvements in its November 2014 second quarter by upgrading its Negril station and creating the position of safety officer.

The moves come on the heels of a jump in passenger travel in the quarter which led the company to post $12.3 million net profit or 83 per cent higher than a year earlier.

“We have ramped up our customer service and task training across the entire company, with each employee receiving an average of 20 training hours in an effort to improve the consistency and level of customer service delivered. We have created the position of safety officer, in keeping with our strategy of absolute accident avoidance,” the company said in a statement accompanying its financials signed by Chairman Gordon Townsend and director Anthony Copeland. “Our Negril station has been upgraded and is now air-conditioned and equipped with new male/female restrooms in response to customer feedback.”

Revenues peaked at $103.6 million for the quarter, reflecting a 60 per cent rise year-on-year “due to growth in passenger travel”. The company holds $189 million in equity.

The company, in its previous report, stated that it expanded the number of departures on offer while increasing travel options to passengers along the South Coast by 50 per cent.

Knutsford Express operates bus routes that connect Jamaica’s south-eastern capital city Kingston to northern and western parishes. It offers scheduled coach transportation, courier service, private hire, and special-event shuttles.

The company raised just under $100 million through an initial public offer (IPO) of 20 million shares or 20 per cent of the firm last December. The listing on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market allowed the company to qualify for a five-year break on income tax.

The company operates 105 departures weekly and has expanded its reach to Falmouth, Negril, Savanna-la-Mar, and Mandeville, having acquired competitor South Coast Express last year. It started operations in 2006 with 28 departures weekly between Montego Bay and Kingston.