JUTC revenue plummets $100 m in 2021 -ESSJ
KINGSTON, Jamaica— The cash-strapped Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) saw its revenue intake plummet from $425 million in 2020 to $325 million last year.
This out-turn was 33 per cent of the year’s fare income, similar to the share in 2020.
At the same time, the State-owned bus company saw a decline of 19.6 per cent to 207 in the average number of buses that it operated monthly in the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR) during 2021. This marked the fourth consecutive year of decline according to the latest edition of the Economic and Social Survey Jamaica (ESSJ) 2021, released last week.
The survey found that consistent with the reduction in the number of buses were declines in the following associated indicators: — 16.5 million in revenue passenger trips compared with 21.6 million (the 5th consecutive year of decline); $1.5 billion in fare income compared with $1.9 billion (the 5th consecutive year of decline); $42.7 million in revenue from charter trips compared with $109.8 million (the 4th consecutive year of decline)
“Conversely, the number of Smarter Cards issued increased by 3.0 per cent to 3 867, a turnaround after six consecutive years of decrease. The ease in the COVID-19 measures facilitated increased commuting, thereby contributing to the out-turn,” the Survey said.
The JUTC had a total of 270 sublicencees operating on 36 routes complementing its services. This compared with 342 sublicencees operating on 41 routes in 2020.
The operations of the JUTC spanned 65 regular, 29 express, 27 premium and three special service routes for the physically-challenged in the KMTR. There was also the provision of charter services.