KINGSTON, Jamaica— The Opposition Spokesman on Transport and Works, Mikael Phillips, is warning of a “pending crisis and severe chaos” in the commuter movement for the start of the 2022/2023 academic year.

The spokesman said that the number of Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses being dispatched during the summer break needs to drastically increase in order to meet the demand of the academic year.

“The bus run-out at the JUTC has rapidly declined over the summer holidays. The company is now dispatching just over 100 units per day, instead of the 260 required by the summer schedule,” Phillips said in a statement on Monday, adding that the effective transit demand in the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR) for the school term is in excess of 450 buses.

The opposition spokesperson stated that as a consequence of the shortage when over 100,000 students return to classes in September, JUTC will not cope, leading to long delays and late school arrivals.

“This is a clear and imminent danger; we are heading into a period of mayhem in the transport system. Regrettably, the KMTR could see an increase in illegal operators with dire risks to road safety and passenger security,” the People’s National Party (PNP) spokesman warned.

He further added there were issues with the number of buses dispatched from the JUTC depots up to this morning, which could be a major issue when school starts.

“This morning only 117 of a planned schedule of 260 buses were dispatched. If the situation is not rectified this week, there will be a chaotic start to the academic year,” the PNP spokesman said.

Phillips is calling on the Minister of Transport, Audley Shaw, to inform the country of the plans in place to avoid the chaos and provide adequate seats to meet the demand come September.