THE EDITOR, Sir:
THERE ARE some taxis that ply the Half-Way Tree to Papine route. This is not an official route because there are JUTC buses that ply this route. Lately these taxis have increased their fares and are carrying only three passengers because they are being harassed by the police.
The fact that the government and the police have resorted to this tactic in order to increase the use of the JUTC buses by the travelling public is despicable. Most Jamaicans try to save an extra dollar wherever possible and would naturally take the buses over the taxis because the latter are more expensive. However, the service offered by the JUTC leaves a lot to be desired. The buses do not operate on schedule so one has no idea when the next bus is coming.
Sometimes the wait is short, other times it is over 45 minutes. In this harsh economic climate time is money and people put their jobs at risk when they wait on these buses to take them to work. There are also students rushing from work to school at UWI or UTech and if they wait on the bus they would completely miss their classes. Very often these robot taxis come to their rescue.
Many persons I have spoken to would rather take the bus over the taxis, because they feel safer and they spend less money. In addition the taxi drivers are sometimes rude and some of them drive recklessly.
Commuters, however, subject themselves to this rather than wait indefinitely for a JUTC bus to arrive. Sometimes after waiting so long, the bus stop gets crowded, the chances of getting a seat are slim and the $20 saved is not worth the hassle.
The Government did a good thing by introducing the JUTC buses, however, I implore them to take it a step further by making the system dependable. If the buses operate by schedule and run on time, there will be no shortage of passengers. The robot taxis will, without any sanctions from the police, have no choice but to find alternative sources. The government wants to increase revenue without improving service and in the process the poor overburdened consumers bear the brunt of it.
I am, etc.,
GEORGIA BRYAN
gemb2@yahoo.com
Mona, Kingston 7
Via Go-Jamaica
