By Lynford Simpson, Staff Reporter
A JUTC bus undergoing repairs at the company's auto repair shop at its Michael Manley Drive, Spanish Town, headquarters. - Norman Grindley /Staff Photographer
BODY REPAIRS alone are costing the state-owned Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), a whopping $50 million per year.
This was revealed yesterday by John Campbell, JUTC's vice-president for engineering services, during a media familiarisation tour of the bus company's Spanish Town depot.
He said nearly 140 of the company's 590 buses are out of service some for routine maintenance while others have had to be "cannibalised" to make parts available for the rest of the fleet.
This, according to Mr. Campbell, was a result of problems faced by the company in sourcing spare parts, particularly for the Mercedes Benz buses purchased from Mexico. The buses, at the time of purchase nearly five years ago, were valued at more than US$86,000 each. With the two-year warranty long expired, the JUTC is on its own in securing parts for its fleet which has an official life span of 8 to 10 years, but which can go up to 15 years or longer.
Orders placed from as far back as February of this year, have for the most part not been filled. An additional problem is created for the JUTC management as the manuals for the buses are printed in Spanish. Of the February order, Mr. Campbell said: "They (the Mexicans) said in July that the order was ready but only a portion of the order was filled".
Apart from allowing the dismantling of some buses to keep others going, Metropolitan Management Transport Holdings Ltd., (MMTH), the company that owns the rolling stock, has resorted to importing more buses to augment the JUTC fleet. Fifty-six Volvo buses which recently arrived in the island should soon be on the streets. In addition, 30 German-made 30-seater buses have also arrived in the island. These smaller units appear to be a direct response to criticism that the buses in the JUTC fleet are too big and are often stuck in traffic.
Yesterday JUTC President Sterling Soares outlined plans to make the cash-strapped company more efficient. He said steps were being taken to acquire software to improve the company's scheduling arrangement. This is in addition to efforts being made to acquire AVL (automatic vehicle locater) equipment. A route network analysis, last done some 20 years ago when the Government operated the Jamaica Omnibus Service (JOS), will also be undertaken.
"It is a lot of money that we have invested in it and there's a lot more money to be invested in it to make the system much more efficient," Mr. Soares emphasised. The Government has spent in excess of $4 billion to get the JUTC up and running.
As part of the move to be more efficient in the face of a damning report from KPMG Peat Marwick earlier this year which painted the company as insolvent, commuters are likely to be inconvenienced in the near future. Some bus stops will be relocated to prevent the buses from making too many stops which adds to wear and tear and push up operating costs.
Mr. Soares disclosed that the report of the Swedish consultants who were brought in August to shore up the management of the company and make recommendations, was ready. To date Transport and Works Minister Robert Pickersgill has refused to divulge the details of the report.
However, Mr. Soares said yesterday that the "entire operation" of the organisation would be rationalised. He would not be drawn on whether the rationalisation would result in staff cuts among the company's 3,300-strong workforce. However, the unions representing workers have hinted that staff cuts could be part of the recommendations made by the consultants.
