Opposition Spokesman on Transport, Mikael Phillips, has charged that the Montego Bay Metro Company is in worse shape than the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC).

Phillips made the assertion during his recent contribution to the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.

The Montego Bay Metro is described as a “dedicated school and municipal bus service” and, like the JUTC, is a state-run entity.

According to Phillips, “This company, which should provide transit services to general commuters, students and the elderly in St. James, Hanover and Trelawny (and Westmoreland), is now down to an operating fleet of six buses from 17 when we (the People’s National Party) left office”.

He noted that there was a plan to refurbish three units to bring the fleet up to nine for the 2022/23 fiscal year, but argued that this was “still a drop in the bucket” because Montego Bay Metro needs a fleet of 30 buses to be able to provide adequate seats in the western end of the island.

“How can an ageing fleet of six or nine buses serve the students in these three parishes?” Phillips said.

“Even with 17 buses there were challenges. Now with six units and the same indiscipline as in the KMTR (Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region), what does the government propose to do for these commuters?” he asked further.

The Opposition Spokesman said the Ministry of Transport needs to develop a plan to restore the company and its services to meaningful and acceptable levels as it was now a shadow of itself.

He highlighted that the government will be providing a subsidy of $245 million to the Metro during the current financial year but argued that unless the operation is brought back to the adequacy it once enjoyed, the expenditure, along with the $274 million that was provided in the 2021/22 financial year, cannot be justified.

“Unless the Ministry ensures urgent improvement, the operations will be only an illusion as most students will be forced to take more expensive modes of transport,” Phillips said.