Ezroy Millwood, embattled president of the National Transport Cooperative Society (NTCS), questioned the competence of the Government to effectively manage the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC).

He argued "If you put a new bus into service ... and in four months it is parked because you are not able to purchase new tyres, a major inquiry should be started to investigate that situation," said Millwood.

This was said in a recent press conference held to explain NTCS's position with respect to the winding down of its operations by December 2.

Reginald Allen, corporate communications manager of the JUTC, while admitting that an undetermined number of buses were parked two or three weeks ago because of the unavailability of tyres, said the delay in obtaining new rubber was caused by cash flow problems as well as logistical difficulties, but would not elaborate further. He did say, however, that the problems had largely been solved.

Allen said 50 of the new buses were first put into service in February, with another batch of 50 running routes starting July.

Two hundred Volvo buses were scheduled to enter the island in batches beginning in March, as a result of a bilateral agreement between Jamaica and the Government of Belgium.