Pregnant woman left standing in bus ... JUTC condemns incident

State owned bus company Jamaica Urban Transport Company (JUTC) has condemned a photo making the rounds on social media with a pregnant woman seemingly being forced to stand while travelling in a packed bus.

A date was not affixed to the photo. However, the woman who appears to be in her second trimester or later, can be seen standing, while passengers, including other women, are comfortably seated.

Cecil Thoms, corporate communications manager at the JUTC, said that he has seen the photo and said it speaks to a greater problem in the society.

EDUCATE THE PUBLIC

Thoms said: "I said to myself that society is at a new low. We have lost all sense of decency, stability, and pride."

Thoms told THE STAR that he can remember a time when it was courteous for people to get up from their seats and ask.

He said: "There are instances when drivers ask but you cannot compel people to do so. From time to time, our drivers ask people to give up their seats."

The JUTC said as a company, it has sought to educate the public and asked that passengers abide by the public transportation rules.

"We cannot legislate common decency. Just do the right thing. We at JUTC go through great lengths and have said to people follow the public transportation rules, where preference is given to the pregnant, sick and elderly. We do have commercials running with this message," Thoms said.

Facebook users also expressed outrage at the photo.

Love Odih wrote: "Man or woman, someone in that bus should be able to empathise with her as a son, daughter, parent, partner and offer up. I really hope it's that someone offered and in the moment she felt more comfortable standing, for whatever personal reason"

Louise Toby Finikin wrote: "No one getting up to give you a seat and all when the driver decided him or she not moving until someone give up the seat makes no difference, dem sidung same way."