KINGSTON, Jamaica—The Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) is offering a $1-million reward for information leading to the identification of an individual of interest in connection with the setting of a bus on fire.

The act of arson took place on May 30 at the Spanish Town lay-by, St Catherine, destroying a Yutong compressed natural gas (CNG) bus with a replacement value of US$200,000.

At a press conference on Monday, June 22, at the offices of the Ministry of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications in Kingston, the JUTC released footage of a man setting an item ablaze in the rear of the bus before exiting.

The individual is believed to be the same person responsible for setting fire to a Golden Dragon CNG-powered bus at the Half-Way Tree Transportation Centre in 2024.

“We believe the public has a very important role in helping us to resolve a matter that not only affects the JUTC but the safety and security of members of the commuting public,” said JUTC Managing Director, Owen Ellington.

Managing Director, Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), Owen Ellington, addresses a press conference on Monday (June 22) at the Ministry of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications in Kingston, to provide an update on the investigation into the arson of a bus at the Spanish Town lay-by, St. Catherine, on May 30. (JIS photo)

“Our mission is to provide a safe and reliable transportation system for the people of Jamaica, and whenever that mission is threatened, we have a responsibility to act decisively,” he noted.

“This bus was set ablaze in a crowded transportation centre. This bus is powered by CNG, which is an explosive element, and if any of the gas cylinders on that bus exploded in the bus park in the afternoon, the impact would have been catastrophic,” he pointed out.

Ellington said that since the incident, the JUTC has been working closely with the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) to investigate and bring the individual to justice.
He noted that no passengers were on board the buses at the time of the incidents.

Manager, Franchise Protection and Inspection, JUTC, Mark Dillon, said the surveillance footage captured a male passenger boarding the bus in downtown Kingston at approximately 2:43 pm on May 30.

“After paying his fare in cash, he travelled with the other passengers to Spanish Town. When the bus arrived at the Spanish Town lay-by, and the passengers exited the vehicle, the individual remained briefly on board. Surveillance footage shows him igniting an object, then he quickly disembarked, and then shortly thereafter the vehicle engulfed in flames,” he outlined.

Dillon said the 2024 arson footage shows the same person in the Half-Way Tree Transportation Centre.

The commissioner of police has assigned a task force to assist with the investigation.

Individuals who can identify the suspect may call Crime Stop at 311 or the nearest police station.

-JIS