JUTC records marginal improvement in fare income in 2024— ESSJ
KINGSTON, Jamaica—The cash-strapped Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) saw a marginal improvement in fare income which moved from $1.2 billion in 2023 to $1.3 billion last year.
The bus company also saw an increase in revenue from passenger trips from 13.9 million in 2023 to 17.3 million last year. Additionally, the JUTC revenue from charter trips increased to $100.9 million last year, compared to $87.3 million in the previous year.
The information is published in the 2024 edition of the Economic and Social Survey Jamaica (ESSJ), an annual publication of the Planning Institute of Jamaica.
The ESSJ outlines that in the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR), the JUTC operated 68 regular, 28 express, 31 premium and three special service routes. This is in addition to the provision of charter services.
Of note is that complementary services were provided by 281 sub-licencees operating on 48 routes relative to 293 sub-licencees operating on 43 routes in 2023. The JUTC also commenced operation on three Rural Stage Carriage routes.
“With an aim of improving its operations, the JUTC implemented several enhancements to its services, focusing on fleet and route expansion. The JUTC added 112 new buses to its fleet, introduced several new routes and expanded service on some routes,” said the ESSJ.
“This expansion aimed to improve service delivery within and outside of the KMTR,” it added.
Twelve units were deployed to bolster services in Montego Bay, increasing the fleet servicing the north coast from six to 18 buses. Additionally, two new routes were added to serve Kingston to St Thomas, providing increased access to areas including Morant Bay, Albion, and Yallahs.
The average number of buses that operated monthly in the KMTR increased to 168 from 148, resulting in the increased performances, including in fare revenue.
Meanwhile, the number of new Smarter Cards issued was 19,135 compared with 5,682 for 2023. “Revenue intake grew by $84.2 million to $441.6 million, in line with the increased issuance of cards. This total accounted for approximately 35.0 per cent of fare income, compared with 29.0 per cent in 2023,” according to the survey.
