KINGSTON, Jamaica — Commuters gathered at Chancery Street bus terminus near the former Price Rite Supermarket off Red Hills Road in St Andrew were in a tizzy this morning after a lengthy wait for a Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) bus on the number 47 route.

The well-used route takes commuters from Chancery Street to Half Way Tree, Cross Roads and then downtown Kingston.

Frustrated commuters this morning complained that the JUTC buses have been not running on time, making them late for work and school.

“I have been here from 7:40 (am), it is now 8:20 (am) and I cannot get a 47 up until now,” one woman openly remarked.

A man, who claimed to be a JUTC employee, said that a bus should have already arrived but he was not sure why it was late.

When asked why he did not make contact with the company he responded: “the company has not given me a company phone to make contact with the buses, so I can’t call”.

“I’m not a supervisor, I’m a regulator and I’m just filling in,” he added.

An irritated onlooker weighed in saying: “You can’t get anything out of them (JUTC staff), because they never know anything yet, I live in the area and this has been going on for over eight years, the buses don’t come on time.”

“I’m going to UWI and waiting on the 45B and it takes over an hour to come,” the onlooker said.

The JUTC announced on Monday that more than 450 buses were rolled out when the new school term began.

However, the “JUTC regulator” on the scene said that Spanish Town and Portmore in St Catherine each have over 16 routes and take up over 200 buses. He added that the 47, 46 and 45B routes (those that terminate at Chancery Street) only have eight buses in total.

Deandra Morrison