Clarendon reacts to bus fare increase

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A Dat Wi Seh… Sunday, August 25, 2013

JAMAICANS in Clarendon last Thursday expressed concern over the increase in bus fares on Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses starting today. Some took issue with the announcement of the fare increase at the start of the new school year.1. GRACE MITCHELLI think the transport people need the fare increase. They need it. But it will not be good for the parents. Parents are not getting a raise so how are we going to afford increased bus fares? I think it is fair for the transport people but it will be hard on the parents.2. SANDRA WILLIAMSI don’t think they should consider a raise for them (transport operators). We are in ‘tamarind season’ and it is hard on us all. What they (Government) must do is consider this fare increase two ways — for the busmen and for the commuters. If they do not do that it is going to be chaos. Some people just don’t have the money to pay.3. KENISHA ROGERSIt will impact us a lot because it cost a lot for fare. I have to pay $250 a day for bus fare. It makes me feel really bad. I don’t think that it is a good move at this time because we are already having problems. It will only cause more problems for commuters.4. ALICIA OSBOURNEI cannot feel good about the fare increase because poor people will have it very hard to send their children to school. There is no word in the world to describe how I feel. I don’t think that a fare increase right now is justified.5. FLORIZEL THOMPSONThe fare increase is not justified right now. Parents are not getting any more money. And if you are getting less, how can you be asked to pay more? That cannot be. I think they should just freeze the fare increase until the economy start to grow and people are able to make more money. You can’t ask more from the tree if the tree is not bearing.6. LORINE COUSINSIn my view, I don’t think that a fare increase right now is appropriate considering the high cost of everything that parents have to buy already. Parents are already having trouble trying to afford the necessities. And the thing with the Vere area is that the taxi men won’t regulate the fare. They are not going to put on the set amount; they are going to round it off and charge more.7. KYMANI SEYMOURThis increase will affect all of us across the board negatively. Almost 80 per cent of Jamaican families are in poverty. With this increase it will put persons way out of their budgets. So I think that a fare increase right now will only impact the country negatively.8. EPHRAIN COLLINSA fare increase right now is cruel because it is already rough for us. And at the start of the new school year, too, it is only going to be rougher on the parents. It will impact us greatly. We live in Lancaster, Longville and it’s $90 for the student bus fare. With a 20 per cent increase it was hard in the beginning and now it is going to be even harder.INTERVIEWER: COREY ROBINSONPHOTOGRAPHER: KARL MCLARTYKYMANI SEYMOUR & EPHRAIN COLLINSFLORIZEL THOMPSON & LORINE COUSINSKENISHA ROGERS & ALICIA OSBOURNEGRACE MITCHELL & SANDRA WILLIAMS

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Clarendon reacts to bus fare increase