Fare hike for taxis, buses coming

Commuters can expect to pay more for transportation starting Sunday, following the government's approval of a 35% hike in bus and taxi fares to be implemented in two stages. 

Transport Minister Daryl Vaz announced the increase, and explained that a 19% increase will take effect on October 15, followed by 16% in April 2024.

The fares charged by the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) and Montego Bay Metro will remain the same.

The rate for the elderly, the disabled and children who use the JUTC and Mobay Metro will remain at 50% of the adult fare. 

In making the announcement today, Transport Minister Daryl Vaz noted that some public passenger operators wanted a 100-percent increase in fares with others calling for a higher figure, but the Government could not acquiesce to this and had to act in a responsible and sensitive manner. 

“In accepting a recommendation for an overall 35-percent increase in fares and deciding to implement it on a phased basis, the Government has sought to carry out a balancing act, where the impact of the cost of living on commuters and expenses being faced by bus and taxi operators had to be taken into careful consideration," Vaz explained. 

"The staggering of the 35% increase over the 8-month period is a deliberate effort by the Government to cushion the impact of the cost of transportation on the travelling public. It's intentional that the second phase of the increase will take effect after the tabling of the next budget which will naturally take into consideration costs facing our people,"  Vaz noted. 

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