Vaz pushing ahead with ‘new transport vision’ for Jamaica
Published:Thursday | March 6, 2025 | 12:07 AMAndre Williams/Staff Reporter
Transport Minister Daryl Vaz says the Jamaica Urban Transit Company’s (JUTC) expansion of routes outside of the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR) reflects the commitment of the Jamaican Government to providing safe, reliable, and affordable transportation to new and expanding communities as well as to rural parishes.
Vaz, who also has portfolio responsibility for science, energy and telecommunications, on Tuesday shot down any notion of the JUTC competing with private transport operators or intending to displace them.
He was addressing a press conference inside the Half-Way Tree Transport Centre on Constant Spring Road in St Andrew.
The first phase of the JUTC’s route expansion was introduced in November 2024 to the new housing developments in the Greater Bernard Lodge area of St Catherine - namely Silver Sun Estate, Phoenix Park Village 1 & 2 and Old Harbour.
“The JUTC is also seeking to expand services to new and premium routes, including Route 311 to Catherine Estates; Mandeville to May Pen, and Montego Bay to Lucea and Negril (out of Montego Bay Depot). These expansions are important to meeting the growing demand for public transportation and improving connectivity across the island,” Vaz said.
The JUTC has recorded a total of 115,742 passenger transported, averaging 2,561 passengers daily across the 14 new routes since their inception.
“These numbers reflect the growing reliance on public transportation in these areas and the importance of continued expansion and service enhancements to meet commuter needs effectively. I wish to make it absolutely clear that the JUTC is not competing with PPV operators, the expansion of service is not intended to displace private operators in the public transport sector,” Vaz said. “The JUTC aims to provide professional, safe, reliable and affordable transportation; a standard by which public transportation will be defined. And so I urged private operators to continue to retool and improve on the quality of service they deliver to our commuters who deserve no less than a dignified means to commute.”
He said the Government has the responsibility to provide transportation options.
“I will be speaking in relation to what I intend to do in relation to assisting the PPV (public passenger vehicle) operators to retool because newer vehicles, better conditioned vehicles..., so that they themselves also can be apart of the new transport vision that I have for Jamaica,” Vaz said during the press conference.
He announced 11 taxi routes had been approved for conversion from hackney carriage licences to route taxi licences.
Vaz said the transport operators had asked the Public Transport Operators Steering Committee (PTOSC) to consider some routes within the KMTR for conversion.
“The steering committee considered the requests; it was supported by the Transport Authority (TA) and the Jamaica Urban Transit Company has provided its non-objection on the implementation of the 11 routes,” said Vaz, adding that those routes will be considered on this licensing period, 2025-2026.
COLLABORATIVE WORK
Meanwhile, the minister outlined that the issue of inadequate parking for taxi and bus operators did not crop up overnight and a fix would require collaborative efforts.
He said that, in the long term, regulatory and urban planning adjustments would be required.
“For the short term, the Transport Authority, working together with the police, the National Works Agency and the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) have been working to identify additional parking facilities,” Vaz said.
The KSAMC has agreed with the TA to convert the South Parade car park into a taxi car park for some of these routes.
The minister said online applications would be available for the route licence.
“The Transport Authority continues to increase operational efficiency through its online licensing application, Transport Authority Advanced Management System (TAAIMS). This electronic system will allow customers to submit their licence applications remotely, and the approved licences will then be sent via email to the applicant. This service eliminates the need for customers to visit the Transport Authority offices to submit their licence applications, thus reducing time spent in the office spaces and improving overall efficiency of the licensing process,” Vaz said.
Vaz said an additional 12 routes will be opened soon.
LACK OF NATIONAL PLAN
Opposition Spokesman on Transport Mikael Phillips has criticised the transport ministry and the TA for what he considers their lack of a national plan to address parking issues in town centres across the island.
According to Phillips, this has contributed to severe congestion, particularly in areas like Papine Square in St Andrew, where taxi operators and commuters struggle with inadequate parking facilities.
Phillips commented on the matter last Friday while touring Papine Square at the invitation of the People’s National Party (PNP) candidate for St Andrew Eastern, Patricia Duncan Sutherland. During the tour, he observed first-hand the congestion affecting transportation in the area.
“The issue of parking is the main issue, which causes just a general congestion in the town centres,” Phillips said, adding that despite the continued issuance of taxi licences, there has been no coordinated effort to create designated parking spaces for operators.
Phillips also questioned the Government’s broader approach to transportation, highlighting the expansion of JUTC routes into rural areas and claiming there was a lack of a clear national plan for integrating various modes of transportation. He said that, while licences are being granted for JUTC routes, the lack of proper parking spaces prevents their full implementation.
Phillips has also been critical of the deployment of JUTC buses to routes that he said would be better managed by other transport providers.
“They’ve taken buses off the JUTC routes and send them to St Mary, to St Thomas and to places that you could approach the private investor like yourselves in filling those routes until they get more buses, Phillips said while addressing a townhall meeting in Montego Bay, St James, on February 26.
Routes to be offered to Route TaxiS
Among the premium routes
. Silver Sun Estate (Route 135 and Route 137) have collectively transported 7,751 passengers, while
. Phoenix Park Village 1 and 2 (Route 309 and Route 310) have together transported 5,938 passengers
The regular service routes have shown significant usage, with:
. Old Harbour to May Pen (Route 501) leading the count at 23,346 passengers
. Other high-traffic routes include Yallahs to downtown Kingston (Route 701) with 22,900 passengers, and
. Morant Bay to downtown Kingston (Route 702) with 16,280 passengers
Additionally, routes such as:
. Chapelton to May Pen (Route 504) 3,556 passengers
. Lionel Town to May Pen (Route 502),
. Toll Gate to May Pen (Route 503), have each surpassed 8,000 passengers, highlighting strong commuter demand on these corridors.
Further notable contributions:
. Linstead to Spanish Town (Route 605), with 5,496 passengers.
. May Pen to Spanish Town (Route 511), with 5,170 passengers
. The Castleton/Grande Hole to Half-Way Tree (Route 52B) service has also facilitated 2,067 passengers
Number ORIGIN VIA DESTINATION VEHICLE TYPE
1 Downtown East Queens St Norman Gardens Motor Car
2 Downtown East Queens St Rennock Lodge Motor Car
3 Downtown South Camp Road Cross Road Motor Car
4 Downtown South Camp Road Vineyard Town Motor Car
5 Downtown East Queens St Rollington Town Motor Car
6 Downtown East Queens St Franklin Town Motor Car
7 Half-Way Tree Hagley Park Road Three Miles Motor Car
8 Half-Way Tree Hope Road Papine Motor Car
9 Half-Way Tree Red Hills Road Chancery Street Motor Car
10 Half-Way Tree Washington Blvd Duhaney Park Motor Car
11 Half-Way Tree Mountain View Windward Road Motor Car