This JUTC bus sports the yellow colour that all public transport within the Kingston metro region will soon be required to adopt. - File

State bus company JUTC is throwing a lifeline to private transport operators, saying the more than 150 of them will be considered for sub-licences once their current franchise agreement ends.

But Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) is not promising that the bus owners, who now operate under the National Transport Cooperative Society (NCTS) headed by Ezroy Millwood, will all qualify for franchises, only that they will be considered.

Instead of doing business with NCTS, the state bus company would deal directly with private bus owners.

"No bus operator will be left out in the cold," said JUTC spokesman Reginald Allen.

But these operators will be required to meet more stringent service quality tests than, perhaps, they have been accustomed.

Granting licences

The JUTC will be granting operating licences for a number of routes in the Kingston Metropolitan Region (KMTR) including Spanish Town, Portmore, Maxfield Avenue, Waltham Park Road and Jones Town, the company has announced.

"As long has they meet the criteria of the quality service that we desire for our commuters, they will be considered," Allen said.

The transport ministry last month the pulled plug on the 14-year-old NTCS, which government says owes JUTC some $12 million, saying that the sub-franchise agreement for its members to operate within the KMTR would be cancelled by yearend.

Details of the new service criteria to be met by successful applicants have not yet been made available by the JUTC but the company has confirmed that the Transport Authority will act as regulators under the new scheme.

"The application for route licence must be made to the Transport Authority, which will have dialogue with the JUTC before a decision is taken," said Allen, spokesman for both the bus company and the transport ministry.

New mandatory colour

By the time the new system is implemented, the transport ministry hopes to have a new mandatory colour-coding system for public transportation, which it is banking on to weed out some 12,000 illegal operators and exercise a greater level of control over the system.

"The transport ministry is focussed on bringing order to the system, not only in terms of broad rules but also the whole outlook." said Allen.

"The last set of buses that arrived from Belgium were painted yellow in keeping with the policy of colour coding being put in place."

Yellow is going to be the base colour, which all public passenger vehicles (PPVs) in the KMTR are expected to eventually sport.

"So if you are involved in public transportation any at all, you will have to be driving a yellow vehicle."

There are an estimated 43,000 PPVs operating islandwide.

Other colours will be assigned to particular regions and parishes for easier identification by the transport regulators, the police and the public.

"This is very important if we are to break the back of the widespread illegality and indiscipline in the service," said Transport Minister Mike Henry.

Funding arrangements

The country's transport policy makers have not said how much money will be spent on the new initiative. However, sources have indicated to Wednesday Business that the funding arrangements being explored involve both government and non-state-funded options.

A test run of the new system has already been slated for Montego Bay.

In the meantime, the government also seems bent on collecting on the millions owed by the Ezroy Millwood group, which has said the that failure of some members to pay membership fees over the years led to the NTCS' indebtedness - although the amount owed the JUTC for its sub-franchises is still being disputed by the cooperative.

"The NTCS must make all effort to meet its obligation to JUTC, " Allen declared, but did not elaborate on the steps being taken to ensure that Millwood and his team pay up.

mark.titus@gleanerjm.com