Operators hike fares amid JUTC strike, Transport Authority issues warning

The Transport Authority is warning public passenger vehicle operators that they should immediately desist from overcharging commuters in the Corporate Area.

The authority says since the withdrawal of service by Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) drivers this morning, it has received several complaints that unscrupulous persons are insisting that commuters, including children, pay more than the approved fares in the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region, particularly in sections of Spanish Town.

The regulator says this is illegal and a violation of the rights of the commuters.

The Transport Authority says its operations teams are closely monitoring the situation and operators found to be unlawfully deceiving passengers will be prosecuted under regulation 129 (d) of the Road Traffic Regulations.

In the meantime, the commuting public is reminded that one of the dangers of using unlicensed public passenger vehicles is that these operators often charge exorbitant fares.

The authority is, therefore, urging commuters to use licensed public transport vehicles which display red public passenger vehicle plates and the light blue Transport Authority sticker on the windshield with expiration dates of 2020 and onwards.

How to report overcharging 

* Commuters may report incidents of overcharging through the Authority’s toll-free line at 1-888-991-5687

* WhatsApp images or videos to 1-876-551-8196, providing the licence plate numbers and the routes for the vehicles

* Download the Drive Safe Jamaica app in the Google Playstore and submit your images or videos.   

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