With more than 700 children reported missing between January and September this year, The Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) is to begin posting photographs of missing children on its buses.

Bindley Sangster, managing director of JUTC, made the announcement yesterday while addressing the Lions Club of Kingston's weekly luncheon.

"We felt that, because we carry between 600,000 to one million passengers per year, there is a strong chance that people may (see one of these children)," Sangster said at The Jamaica Pegasus, New Kingston.

Police say some 500 children have returned home, but about 200 are still unaccounted for, while the bodies of at least five have been found.

Last seen

Eleven-year-old Ananda Dean went missing in September. She was last seen at the transportation centre in St Andrew. Police later found her body in Belvedere, St Andrew.

There appears to be an increase in the incidence of attempted abduction, rape and murder of women and children in recent months.

Meanwhile, Sangster said a police post has been opened at the transportation centre and three vehicles were handed over to the police recently.

'It's a part of the child abuse situation because we want to ensure that children enter and leave the (centre safe)," said Sangster.

He also said said new measures aimed at making the bus company more profitable were being examined.

The measures include the playing of music on the buses and continuous advertisement on the vehicles.

"Revenue is not just putting more buses on the road. We have been trying hard to put more buses in an effort to increase revenue but with not much success," he said

Sangster also announced that the JUTC would be training drivers in anger and crisis management, conflict resolution and first aid. He also noted that psychometric testing would be used to recruit drivers.

"It is going to be a different JUTC. It's not going to be business as usual," he said.