Only Smartercard holders will benefit from 50% reduction in JUTC fare as of April 1 – Vaz
KINGSTON, Jamaica— Only commuters of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) who use Smartercards will be eligible for the 50 per cent discount in bus fares that was announced in November last year by Transport Minister Daryl Vaz.
Vaz told the House of Representatives on Tuesday that his ministry was in the process of preparing a Cabinet note for the use of a completely cashless system for the proposed reduction in bus fares, effective April 1.
“In essence, commuters who pay their fares using a ‘smartcard’, come April 1, will benefit from the 50 per cent fare reduction. In addition, they will receive an added benefit of three free rides which will apply to both current and new cardholders. Persons who do not use a smart card will not benefit from the 50 per cent reduction,” the minister explained.
He said commuters are encouraged to ensure that they obtain Smartercards to benefit from the reduction of fares and extended benefits.
“The use of smart cards will ultimately aid both efficiency and security on the buses,” he said.
Vaz said that the current fare collection system uses a limited cashless component.
He said: “This system is to be replaced by a comprehensive cashless system which will provide the requisite efficiency and revenue protection to cover the entire service and guard against the difficulties posed by cash transactions, delays and pilferage. The throughput of passengers will be significantly impacted by this. The whole route cycle can be greatly impacted by dwell time, which can be estimated using the boarding time”.
Vaz said that changes in fare collection methods and the vehicle-platform interface have a ripple effect on the route. He informed that the JUTC will shortly be going back to tender for an Electronic Fare Collection System (EFCS) system.
Effective January 1, commuters started benefitting from a $30 reduction on the $100 adult fare. Come April 1, the fare will be cut by a further $20.
The fare for children was cut from $30 to $25 and for pensioners from $40 to $30 on January 1.
As of April I, fares for children will be further reduced from $25 to $20, and pensioners’ rates from $30 to $25.