JUTC drivers vex over defective buses
DRIVERS employed by the State-owned Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) are complaining about being forced to drive defective buses which they say exposes them, passengers and commuters to serious risk and injury.
Subsequently, they are making an impassioned plea to JUTC to ensure that defective buses are removed from the daily fleet.
A driver who spoke to the Jamaica Observer on condition of anonymity shared a recent experience where a parked bus that was also shut off, ran off the road resulting in damage to property.
“The day before I was at the back of the bus and the parked bus that was shut off started moving off. I reported the matter. The next day I was given the same bus and when the problem started again I made a report and was told they would come and get the bus. Now, because of the environment I was afraid to just sit there with the money on me so I decided to leave the bus and carry in the money. While on my way I get a call that the bus run off and hit someone wall and a vehicle,” the affected driver told the Sunday Observer.
The driver added that when colleagues became aware of the situation they shared similar sentiments of having to operate defective buses.
“Another driver was taking me to work and when I shared what happened with the bus I was on, I was made aware that something similar happened to him too. The driver said the bus was giving issues and after parking it and seeking assistance at a police station, the bus run back and hit up in the police station, so the driver had to then make an accident report in addition to asking the police for assistance with contacting JUTC to report the defective bus,” the driver said.
The driver also recounted another situation where two passengers were almost injured because of a malfunctioning bus.
“Another driver told me he stopped at the bus stop to pick up two passengers and just as he stopped, a thing at the side of the bus fly out – likkle most the two passengers head chop off,” the driver said.
The JUTC employee added that there are buses with major leaks that leave both drivers and passengers exposed to the elements, buses with defective seats, missing wipers, one working headlamp, buses without seat belts and expired vehicle registration certificates.
In relation to the malfunctioning and possible penalties, the driver said: “If you should get ticket you’re going to lose points from your licence and you have to pay the ticket.”
Further, the driver appealed to JUTC to ensure there is a strict monitoring system to ensure that defective buses are functioning before they are sent on the roads.
“The buses are defective. You send them in and the mechanics just do a thing because there are no parts there. Sometimes they just send it back into the run for the next driver the following morning, even though it was reported defective before,” the driver said.
But, Cecil Thoms, corporate communications manager at JUTC, told the Sunday Observer that internal checks did not reveal any reports by drivers of any defective buses causing accidents. He emphasised that the policy of JUTC does not allow for buses with defects to be dispatched without clearance from the maintenance division.
“Buses with defects of this nature are flagged and removed from the available fleet. Once removed, a job card is created and the bus placed in a queue for repairs to be effected. The unit is only returned to the available fleet once the defect has been corrected,” he said.
Regarding the disabled units moving off, Thoms said that the mechanics for driving a smaller vehicle would apply to larger units such as buses and he is certain that no accident can take place if the emergency brake is engaged.
Thoms said, globally, accidents such as the kinds raised are not due to defects but rather possible driver behaviour.
There was, however, no reference to the possibility of hand brake failure.
With respect to the matter of leaking buses, Thoms said it was public knowledge that the fleet was ageing and like other companies with an ageing fleet, leaks develop quite often during regular operations, particularly when the varied terrain allows for movement and separation of joints.
He said that JUTC has embarked on a repair programme to identify leaks and correct them before they become an issue to the general public. He, however, said despite best efforts, there were instances whereby leaks develop before the company had an opportunity to correct them. But, once identified, Thoms assured that the bus is removed from the fleet available and repaired before being dispatched again. He added that a number of new leaks were identified during the recent extreme weather and JUTC had corrected over 80 per cent of them.
On the matter of defective wipers, Thoms said: “We are aware of this problem and as early as March 2020 an order was made to our international suppliers, but due to COVID-19 we have only recently started to receive these parts. The checking of wipers is a part of our routine maintenance and is also a part of the driver’s daily routine inspection.”
Thoms, however, said that part of the reason for defective wipers was how the drivers use them.
“One of the causes for defective wipers is user misuse – wipers are turned on while the windshield is dry. This causes the wiper motor to burn and puts pressure on the wiper mechanism. We are now in the process of sensitising users that this practice is having a negative effect on our availability and readiness for inclement weather,” he said.
Regarding spare parts being readily available, Thoms said, like other transit companies in Small Island Developing States, measures implemented in source countries to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus has made it difficult to procure spare parts on a consistent basis and as Europe again shuts down, the difficulties experienced with the provision of spare parts is likely to be exacerbated. He added that JUTC continues to work with its international partners to secure the necessary parts to keep its fleet as effective as possible.
Thoms stated; “Once again, we iterate that we are committed to safety and transparency in our operations and continue to do all we can to serve the people of Jamaica within the context of our current environment. “