KINGSTON, Jamaica — Corporate Communications Manager at the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), Cecil Thoms, is calling for an end to finger-pointing at the JUTC, which he says is not to be blamed for the disappearance of 22-year-old visually impaired University of the West Indies student Jasmine Dean.

Jasmine has been missing since February 27.

It has been reported that she had been waiting on a JUTC bus at the university’s Irvine Hall Gate from around 8:00 pm, but due to a protracted delay, she boarded a taxi some time after 9:00pm. She has not been seen or heard from since. 

Below is the text of a letter sent by Thoms:

“Like all well thinking Jamaicans, we are all saddened by Jasmine’s disappearance and continue to hold hope that she will be found alive and well.  We appeal to the perpetrator/s to do the right thing and #Bringherhome and for person/s who would have witnessed something, anything to report it to the police.

Too often in this society we ‘play see and blind…hear and deaf’ until it reaches our very own doorstep.  As the story continues to unfurl, however; there has been some finger-pointing and blame game over which we wish to set the record straight.

I draw your attention to the headline in the Gleaner of Tuesday, March 10, 2020, which screamed “JUTC blamed for Jasmine Deen disappearance.” It quoted Opposition Senator Floyd Morris saying, “The public transportation system failed her…it wasn’t the university; it is the public transportation system that was not available, whether it be taxi or the JUTC buses.” 

The headline by the Gleaner is most regrettable. It…could give the impression to any right thinking Jamaican that it is the JUTC’s fault that Jasmine has disappeared!

A cursory glance at our records shows that Jasmine uses the JUTC regularly. On the day in question she boarded route 97 at 11:54 am in downtown Kingston. On reaching downtown, she topped up her Smartercard and proceeded to take route 77 to Papine at 12:42 pm. Sometime after 9:00 pm that night, she took a taxi and what happened thereafter remains shrouded in mystery.

In 2016, the JUTC had an arrangement in place with The UWI in which it went directly on the campus; however, that programme was discontinued and we have not been contacted since to resume the programme.

Let me be pellucid, there are challenges and we are working through them. Yes we can and must operate more efficiently and efforts are underway to do just that. To say, however, that we are at fault is grossly irresponsible and unfair. We pray this does not expose the company to further attacks such as stoning/vandalism.

Yesterday, senior managers of the JUTC met with representatives of the Office of Student Services and Development at The UWI Mona Campus where a host of issues were ventilated. Following that meeting, we have decided to deploy additional units to service route 77 and 78 with immediate effect. We will assess the outcome after 28 days. The Guild of Students is to provide us with schedules and areas of need so we may more clinically satisfy demand. There was also an indication of the possible resumption of JUTC buses returning directly to the campus as was in place before 2016 and to further deepen the dialogue as the matter transcends the provision of a safe mode of public transportation for the university community.”