THE State-owned Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) is expecting a bump in its revenue from fares with the full roll-out of its SmartFare card system.

For the 2025/26 fiscal year, which begins on April 1, the bus company has projected collecting almost $1.5 billion in fares, but this could increase with the system which Minister of Transport Daryl Vaz expects to maximise the amount collected for rides.

“One of the long-standing challenges in the JUTC has been revenue leakage, particularly from cash transactions. The SmartFare system significantly reduces cash handling thereby closing loopholes that allow for revenue loss.

“This ensures that every dollar spent by commuters goes towards improving services and expanding the JUTC network. The JUTC has outfitted all buses with SmartFare systems,” Vaz said during the official launch of the system at the Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre in St Andrew on Tuesday.

He noted that come June 1, the JUTC will no longer accept Smarter Cards as it’s method of cashless payment as this will be replaced by the SmartFare cards which use state-of-the-art technology to enable passengers to utilise a cashless system to pay their fares.

“SmartFare represents a leap forward in our transportation system. It is cloud- based and accessible via any web browser, expanding availability and making transactions more seamless. Another major improvement is the transition from a card based transaction system to an account based transaction system.

“This change eliminates the need for specialised equipment to process cards and top-ups. With multiple top-up options at the JUTC ticket office, external vendors, the upcoming mobile app, and even through third-party payment systems, commuters now have greater flexibility,” added Vaz as he pointed out that a new
SmartFare mobile app will allow users to check their ride history, account balance, and even pay fares directly from the mobile devices.

On February 1, the JUTC had a soft launch of the SmartFare cards, which led to roughly 2,000 being distributed daily.

Since that time several passengers have complained about not being able to activate their cards but Vaz said concerns regarding the use of SmartFare system are being addressed.

“The ministry, and by extension the JUTC, acknowledge that a transition to this new system comes with challenges and I have seen reports in the media, online, and through messages sent directly to me, that some passengers have encountered issues with SmartFare cards activation and on-bus transactions. As minister with responsibility for transport, I want to assure the public that these concerns and challenges are being actively addressed by the JUTC and should be a thing of the past in the coming weeks,” Vaz said.

With more than 39,000 cards activated since February Vaz said he is pleased to be ushering in what he described as, “a more efficient, transparent and convenient service for thousands of commuters who rely on the JUTC every day”.

According to Vaz, the introduction of the SmartFare system is more than a technological upgrade.

“It is a forward step in our commitment to better serve the commuters of Jamaica. I commend Mr Owen Ellington, the acting managing director [of the JUTC], and his team for the tremendous work in revolutionising the JUTC’s operations while ensuring improvement in commuter services.

“I am heartened to know that since the start of February 2025, the JUTC has activated 39,305 cards catering to various categories of commuters. Adults (16,903); children (2,047); persons with disabilities (865); senior citizens (13,919); and students (5, 571). Public transportation must be inclusive and we are making strides to ensure that persons with disabilities have seamless access,” Vaz said.

In the meantime, the JUTC used Tuesday’s media briefing to launch its ‘Ride Right with SmartFare,’ campaign and Shontole Thompson, communications manager at the bus company, said this will focus on six pillars — affordability, safety, comfort, exclusivity, education and continuous improvement.

“Affordability reminds the public that JUTC remains the most cost-effective option for daily commute. Safety, reinforces safe commuting practices including proper boarding, disembarking and overall passenger etiquette. This falls in line with our ‘Stand in Line’ campaign.

“Comfort is ensuring that our buses remain a comfortable, stress-free stay for all passengers. Exclusivity promotes accessibility for the elderly, the students and persons with disabilities, this falls under our ‘We Care’ programme. Education is informing the public on proper commuting practices, fair policies and the benefits of riding responsibly and continuous improvement, highlighting the JUTC’s ongoing efforts to improve services, reduce delays and enhance commuter experience. This campaign is about promoting a better commuting culture, one that benefits both our passengers and our transport system.

Meanwhile, Nathalia Palomino, marketing and sales manager at the JUTC, said the ‘Ride Right with Smart Fare’ campaign is all about transforming how the State-owned bus company interacts with the public, by embracing technology and promoting responsible commuting behaviours.

“We are grateful for the support of some amazing partners, like the Jamaica Council for Disabilities for providing training on the Disabilities Act so our services remain accessible to all and supplying inclusive language guidelines to ensure respectful and appropriate communication. The Ministry of Education helps us to educate students on proper commuting etiquette, discussions on integrating transit rules in school programmes to reinforce safe and orderly boarding and also assisting us with smart fare card distribution and awareness in school.

“The Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology, our parent ministry, and the National Road Safety Unit have enabled discussions and awareness campaign on pedestrian safety and the possibility of creating policies to enhance commuters’ discipline and efficiency. Since our soft launch of SmartFare we have been moving full speed ahead and our team has worked tirelessly to improve the system,” said Palomino.

“Today we are proud to highlight the existing ways to check your smart fare balance. You may do this at the JUTC kiosk. It’s quick and easy to balance check at JUTC ticket offices and also you can check balances at all JUTC authorised merchants. Verify your balance before adding funds at authorised JUTC merchants.

“That is not all, in a few weeks, we will officially launch the SmartFare mobile app, which will not only allow commuters to check their balance but will act as a card less [system]. No more worries about lost cards. It will also store multiple commuter profiles, making it easier for families and frequent travellers to manage their transit funds seamlessly. It operates on a cloud-based system for smooth and efficient transactions,” Palomino added.