Rural Express on the way

The Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) is to launch a Rural Express Service offering premium travel on long-haul direct routes from the Half-Way Tree Transport Centre in St Andrew to various locations across the islad for an introductory fare of $2,000.

The service, which will utilise 15 of 30 new diesel buses acquired by the JUTC, will travel from Half-Way Tree to to Negril, Westmoreland; Montego Bay, St James; Ocho Rios, St Ann; Port Antonio in Portland, and Mandeville, Manchester, with minimal stops along the route.

Yesterday, Daryl Vaz, minister of science, energy, telecommunications and transport, said the remaining 15 diesel buses would support the demand for charter services offering flexible, reliable options for institutions, organisations and summer events.

The JUTC is also expanding routes out of Spanish Town, with new services to Linstead via the highway, and Spanish Town to Kitson Town, while 70 compressed natural gas (CNG) will be deployed along new routes across the Spanish Town depot corridor.

In addition, JUTC is collaborating with the University of Technology Jamaica and The University of the West Indies, Mona, to introduce dedicated student routes from Spanish Town, Portmore, and Gregory Park – operating during morning and evening peak times.

Vaz made the disclosures yesterday as he announced the successful delivery of 93 new buses to the JUTC.

Speaking at the official handover ceremony, the minister declared that the Government has “followed through with its commitment to the people” in the second phase of its bus fleet expansion initiative.

Of the 100 buses expected in this phase, 93 have already arrived on the island, with 63 powered by CNG and 30 designed to use diesel fuel. The remaining seven buses – specially manufactured to accommodate passengers with special needs – are scheduled to arrive in August.

“This is a bold signal that the Government is committed to delivering safer, cleaner and more efficient transportation options for the people of Jamaica,” he said.

In his own comments at the handover ceremony, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness sought to dismiss any view that the Government’s current infrastructure roll-outs, including the addition of new buses to the JUTC fleet, are timed to influence voters ahead of the upcoming national elections.

Holness, arguing that the initiative is rooted in long-term national development and not political manoeuvring, said, “The investment in trying to create a world-class public transportation system is not about politics, where people have tried to drag it into a political thing”

He added, “No, it is about setting the framework for growth for everyone, and we tend to lose sight that the investment in public transportation is about making our economy efficient, so that everyone who has to use public transportation can be more productive in their personal or work endeavours – that’s what it is about.”

Holness acknowledged criticisms suggesting that the timing of the project roll-out was strategic, but argued that good governance should naturally lead to electoral success.

“But the nature of our politics and our democracy is, if you don’t support the political party that is doing it, the idea can never make sense, and Jamaica needs to move past this and look at the ideas, look at the execution, look at the implementation. But, more importantly, Jamaica needs to become a results-oriented society that rewards people who produce and deliver the results,” Holness said.

He added that Government-led polling and surveys show widespread support for the bus investments, particularly the development of the national school bus system.

“But those who are trying to find something to take away from the achievement, we picked up a certain segment of the responses that says, ‘yes I agree with the school bus system, but why unno a do it now, is because of election’; in other words, trying to find a reason to take away from the value of the achievement.”

Holness said the new buses, including 63 that use compressed natural gas and 30 that use diesel, took four years of preparation involving “assessment of the problems”, fiscal analysis, procurement processes, and custom manufacturing based on Jamaica-specific requirements.

In the meantime, Vaz also highlighted the tangible economic benefits of the shift toward cleaner fuel technology. He noted that the Government had already deployed 100 buses in 2024, ten of which were specially outfitted to serve members of the special needs community. He said those buses, powered by CNG, have delivered noticeable cost savings.

“The average monthly bill for a diesel-powered bus is $1 million compared with $350,000 per month for those powered by CNG. This has resulted in a saving of $650,000 per bus,” Vaz explained.

The introduction of these fuel-efficient buses has led to a significant drop in operating monthly costs for the JUTC.

“As more CNG buses were introduced, the average fuel cost fell from $660,000 in October 2024 to $520,000 by April 2025, creating a total saving of $174,000,” the minister reported.

He further revealed that “63 per cent of the JUTC’s operable fleet now runs on cleaner fuel and ignition technologies and has yielded significant cost saving and environmental benefits”.

Vaz also emphasised that this modernisation push is not just about new buses, but about changing the overall structure of the JUTC’s operations.

“The 100 buses were procured and deployed in the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region and has led to significant improvement in service delivery,” he said, adding that the company has since recorded an increase in both passenger and chartered trips.

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