KINGSTON, Jamaica — The 100 new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses that were formally handed over to the State-run Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) on Tuesday represent the largest single addition to the entity’s fleet.

The fleet already includes 25 CNG buses, and the addition of the 100 new units is expected to significantly expand the JUTC’s capacity to provide cleaner and more efficient service.

The provision also signifies the Government’s commitment to improving and building out the public transport sector.

Transport Minister Daryl Vaz assists wheelchair bound Christine Keene onto the newly arrived compressed natural gas (CNG) buses on Tuesday. Looking on in the background are Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Minister of Finance and Public Service, Dr Nigel Clarke. (Photo: Karl McLarty)

Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, who addressed the handover ceremony at the JUTC’s Portmore Depot in St Catherine, said the investment will seek to reduce incidents of theft of fuel and parts from the JUTC fleet.

“As we move to change out the [entire] fleet of these [to] other forms of fuel-driven buses, CNG and electric buses, we hope to radically cut the theft of JUTC fuel and parts to ensure that [those] savings, both in the cost of the fuel and the theft of the fuel, are passed on into more convenience in buses for the people of Jamaica,” he said.

The buses, which arrived on July 15, will be deployed to deliver service across Portmore, Spanish Town and other areas in St Catherine.

Notably, 12 buses from the JUTC fleet have been sent to the Montego Bay Metro Company to bolster service in the Montego Bay area.

This number will expand the fleet servicing Jamaica’s north coast from six to 18, representing a 200 per cent increase.

Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Daryl Vaz said these buses will serve the parishes of Hanover, Westmoreland, Trelawny and St James.

Montego Bay Metro currently transports between 47,000 and 55,000 commuters daily.

With the additional buses, the company will service 80,000 to 100,000 commuters daily, representing a 113 per cent increase.

“Every bus you see here today represents more jobs, less waiting times, more productivity, safer commute and improved service and comfort,” Vaz said.

He noted that since 2023,  a total of 170 buses have been purchased at a cost of $5 billion.

Of the recent addition, Vaz said “we have purchased 100 new CNG buses for the improvement of public transportation for the first time in modern Jamaica, and we have done so without any external financing or any need for loans”.

A breakdown of buses acquired over the last 10 years includes 69 in 2014, 27 in 2015, 35 in 2016, and five CNG units in 2019.

In 2023, the JUTC fleet was expanded with an additional 70 buses comprising 45 diesel, 20 CNG and, for the first time, five electric vehicle units.

The JUTC has an exclusive mandate to provide public transportation service within the Kingston Metropolitan Transit Region (KMTR), operating on 120 routes.

The entity operates from three main depots — Spanish Town, Portmore, and Rockfort in Kingston, offering a range of services, including charter and premium express.

— JIS