KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica Urban Transit Company Limited [JUTC] will be ramping up bus service in preparation for the increased number of commuters anticipated, consequent on the full resumption of face-to-face classes beginning Monday, March 7.

This was disclosed by JUTC Corporate Communications Manager, Cecil Thoms, during a virtual town hall Meeting hosted by the Ministry of Education and Youth, on Friday March 4.

Noting that some commuting delays may be experienced, Thoms asked commuters to be patient, while assuring that everything would be done to rectify any such challenge if it arises.

“We expect that there will be significant crowds and students turning up for school. So the first thing that we are using is our articulated buses, which we call the double bus, which [can] move twice as much of the crowd [compared] to our regular units,” he said.

Thoms indicated that the JUTC will also “bring back into operation, [several] buses that have been down, to increase the fleet numbers.”

“We are doing everything possible within the resources that we have, to meet the demand,” he added, while advising of plans to acquire 50 additional buses to boost the entity’s fleet.

Against the backdrop of the foreseen commuting issues, Thoms encouraged persons who travel on the JUTC’s buses to “be out early to secure [your] seats and… bear with us as we work out the details of [the anticipated] challenging situation.”