A passenger boarded a Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) Express bus from Kingston to Montego Bay on September 1, 2026 with five bags but, according to her, when she disembarked the bus only four of her bags remained, as one containing approximately US$2,000 ($315,000) worth of special educational tools and other items went missing during the journey.

For the passenger, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the incident has exposed what she believes is a gap in the company’s policy regarding the security of customers’ property. She is urging that a new system be implemented to prevent other commuters from experiencing similar losses.

The transport company’s policy states that customers place their items on the bus at their own risk. The company is not liable for any loss or damage to property.

However, she said the company has offered to reimburse her for the missing items. Still, she believes the system needs to be changed.

A special education teacher, she lamented the loss of her items, noting that she had just returned from the United States where she’d purchased back-to-school items totalling US$2,000 for her students and family members.

“I had to take a bag I took to school the other day just to give [my granddaughter] to go to school this morning, and I had already bought her a bag. She didn’t have anything because her mother is actually still in the hospital. Her mother had surgery and cannot come out because she keeps vomiting, and her dad is not working yet. I bought items for my granddaughter, and she didn’t have them, and all these other things that I bought for her. When I say everything, I mean everything; only the things I packed in a barrel she was able to get,” she told the Jamaica Observer.

“I put five bags in the undercarriage. I had a huge 40-inch bag, a black, blue, and grey suitcase… I put a blue duffel bag, that’s the third one, a brown and beige suitcase, and a little green backpack. When I reached Montego Bay all my bags were there except my blue duffel bag. Someone stole the bag, and there was no other bag left there to say it was mistakenly taken. It was not taken by mistake because there was nothing left there,” she reasoned.

She said the situation has left her completely distraught.

“When I came back from the United States on the 31 of August I didn’t eat before I came, and I never ate until about three to four days after, on the Thursday. That was the first time food went into my mouth. Those were the items I specifically bought. They were items like hair and wigs, because I have to teach life skills at the special education level, and so I brought back this mannequin to put on the head so my children can do grooming and all of that; all of those things are gone,” she told the Sunday Observer.

“There were also sensory mats and stuff in it, toys for my students for me to teach…I’m telling you it was like the pain was internal. For days I couldn’t even speak because I hurt so much. I’m past that moment, to be honest, because it’s clear that I’m never going to get it back,” she added.

The passenger said when she alerted the bus driver that her bag was missing, he informed her that there was nothing he could do to help. She said she requested to see the footage from the cameras on the bus but was denied. Instead, she said she was initially offered two complimentary ride passes.

The following day, she said she tried to contact the JUTC customer care centre via email and telephone to file a report, but her calls went unanswered, and the email bounced. She said she also reported the matter to the Montego Bay police, but was told they could not do much in regard to her case.

“I’m very hurt about it because that was not easy cash…I worked very hard to get that,” she said, her voice laced with frustration.

“They don’t tag your bag, and they stop at different locations, so anywhere you want to get off the bus, they just stop. People are coming off the bus as early as where you would get off to go to Ocho Rios in St Ann; all along the road, persons were coming off the bus. I didn’t know it was that insecure that I need to be peeping through a window to see if anybody takes my bag off,” said the passenger, urging the implementation of a tag system.