South Coast Express launches today

Nicholas Myers, Sunday Gleaner Intern

The latest luxury bus service on the island, South Coast Express, is expected to make its inaugural journey today.

Initially scheduled to begin operations last Monday - as detailed in an advertisement published in The Sunday Gleaner of July 17, 2011 - the launch was delayed due to what the company said was an "overwhelming response" in queries.

"The inaugural trip was supposed to have been last Monday. But due to the overwhelming response from the public, in terms of the large number of calls enquiring about the service, we had to postpone the trip until this Sunday [today]," said Karleyer Edwards, operations manager of South Coast Express.

Today, the first bus from Negril is expected to depart the Sunshine Shopping Centre en route to the Winchester Business Centre in Kingston.

"Passengers coming into Kingston on this trip will be feted at the final stop. There will also be a small ceremony at the Winchester Business Centre. After the ceremony, the bus then leaves for Negril," said Edwards.

main route

According to Edwards, the main route is Negril to Kingston and the stops between are Savanna-la-Mar, Santa Cruz and Mandeville.

The operations manager said as a way of showing their appreciation, persons who showed up for last Monday's postponed launch were shuttled into Kingston free of cost.

Edwards said South Coast Express - with its slogan 'Affordable luxury' - offers a comfortable and hassle-free travel experience, with amenities such as free Wi-Fi internet service, in-bus movies, music and a hostess on board. A choice of snacks and a free daily newspaper are also part of the package.

There new state-of-the-art buses are outfitted with security systems and there will be no cash transactions on them.

"There'll also be on-call mechanics, in case a problem arises," she said.

The cost of the Negril to Kingston package is J$2,200 per person one-way. Depending on the destination, the cost of the trip may vary. However, persons who book early benefit from a discount.

With a fleet of six buses, the company plans to initially offer two trips per day from Negril to Kingston and back. The drop-off and pick-up stops are Manifest House in St Cruz; Sunshine Village Shopping Complex in Negril; BMUL Auto in Mandeville; Dunbars River in Savanna-la-Mar and Winchester Business Centre in St Andrew.

The buses operate on Mondays to Fridays and on Sundays.