JUTC has never been in worse shape — Phillips
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Spokesman on Transport, Mikael Phillips, has charged that the state-owned Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) is in its “worst state ever”, losing nearly $100 billion since the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) returned to Government in 2016.
Phillips made the charge on Tuesday during his contribution to the 2025/26 Sectoral Debate at Gordon House.
He said the numbers speak for themselves, sharing that when the JLP returned to office in 2016, the JUTC carried 63 million passengers, but the numbers have dropped to just 18 million in 2024.
Phillips added that in 2016, the JUTC had a daily bus run-out of 450 compared to 203 in 2024.
He also noted that the operational cost recovery in 2016 was 70 per cent compared to 12 per cent in 2024, and farebox revenue totalled $4.5 billion in 2016 compared to just $1.4 billion last year.
