THE EDITOR, Sir:
KINDLY PERMIT me to give some free advice to the management of the Jamaica Urban Transport Company (JUTC) on how they can minimise their losses. I would like to focus on the termini.
Firstly, Spanish Town terminus is woefully short of planning and is in dire need of improvement. This terminus has no holding area for the commuters. They have to stand in the broiling sun or pouring rain before they can board the buses.
There is no connection between the former terminus and the one the JUTC uses now. The commuters are left in the former terminus by legal and illegal transportation where it is easy to access the same to their various destinations. One has to exert much effort to get to the JUTC buses in the new terminus if they are to travel on these buses. It would be beneficial if a side gate were to be installed linking both termini.
Secondly, the 'islands' within the JUTC terminus are far too low, especially for the aged, the physically challenged and the younger children. They need to be higher so as to facilitate easy entry to the buses.
I will next look at the other termini in the Half Way Tree and Cross Roads areas. Bus termini should not be left without buses for any given period of time. Far too many times one arrives at Cross Roads or Half Way Tree and there are no JUTC buses only robots. I believe also that the persons in charge of dispatching these buses need to be more flexible in discharging their duties.
Sir, if these observations are looked into then the commuters would have a choice in deciding whether to take the robot buses and taxis or the JUTC buses. Sir, I strongly believe this would reduce the losses incurred by the JUTC.
I am etc.
B. EDWARDS
bromsed@yahoo.com
Via Go-Jamaica
