JUTC revenue climbs 24% to $1.78 billion as passenger services expand – Vaz

The state-owned Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) has continued its financial recovery, recording a 24 per cent increase in revenue to $1.78 billion for the 2025/2026 financial year.

Speaking at Wednesday’s post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, Transport Minister Daryl Vaz said the improvements came as the Government worked to expand services and strengthen the public transportation system.

“Comparing the last two financial years, JUTC revenue increased by approximately 24 per cent, moving from $1.4 billion in 2024-2025 [financial year] to $1.78 billion in 2025-2026. This represents additional $343 million in revenue. For the first six months of the current financial year, April to September 26, the company has already generated approximately $1.3 billion in revenue,” he said.

Boosted by a new express service, routes operating out of the Portmore and Spanish Town depots generated more than $155 million in revenue last summer.

“Between June and September, routes operating out of the Portmore depot transported more than 97,000 passengers and generated $91.9 million in revenue. Of this amount, the rural express service, a new service, accounted for $60.4 million, while regular rural service contributed approximately $31.5 million. The Spanish Town rural routes also recorded stronger passenger demand, transporting more than 387,000 passengers and generating approximately $64 million over the same period,” Vaz said.

The JUTC introduced Route 710, operating between Downtown Kingston and Port Antonio in Portland, on September 23. Vaz told the media that the service transported 662 passengers and generated approximately $402,000 in revenue during its initial operating period.

“The results are encouraging, particularly as we continue to expand public transportation services beyond the KMTR (Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region). The focus now is on maintaining this progress and service reliability and ensuring that JUTC operates more efficiently,” he said.

Vaz confirmed that the planned bus imports were specifically intended to strengthen the school bus network.

“I just want to say that I'm in the final stages of discussions with the Ministry of Finance, and I am cautiously optimistic that I will get the necessary approval for the importation of 235 new buses to arrive here for the next school year. That would be 100 of the JUTC regular buses out of the 300 that was committed, this would be the last 100, plus 35 other buses to service the KMTR, and most importantly, 100 school buses to take us to the second phase, 100 new school buses to take us to the second phase of the rural school bus service. You will hear more about that,” Vaz explained.

The JUTC launched the National Rural School Bus Programme in September last year, ahead of the academic year.

However, critics of the system have raised concerns about the importation of used buses, citing their unsuitability for the rigours of the road network in rural communities.

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