I
went to the Half-Way-Tree Transport Center and as I expected, I was
disappointed as per the articles “Chaos and
long delays to get Smarter Cards”, Published Tuesday September 2, 2014, by
Sheldon Williams, Staff Reporter, The
Jamaica Gleaner and “Mad
rush at Transport Centre for Smarter Card”, published Monday, September 01,
2014 7:43 PM, The Jamaica Observer.
The
AVL’s a good idea by the way as I’d
described the concept in my blog article
entitled “JUTC's
AVL and Chaos on Back to School Day –
How JUTC's Automatic Vehicle Locator may placate Smartphone toting
Commuters who ask Are we There Yet”. More on that in another article when
they ACTUALLY launch the AVL App!
But
back to reality…..
I
arrived at 12noon to see a crowd basically swamping the Transport Center,
despite the fact that there was a sign stating a plethora of other locations
that travelers could go to top up their JUTC SmarterCard or purchase one for
JA$300.
Please
note my Boycott is still on as per my blog article
entitled “JLP
plans islandwide Bus Fare Protests - Audit of the JUTC needed as JUTC may be
Campaign Cash Cow for Local and General Elections”, as Fares in the
Clarendon and the rest of the country are already sky-high. I was just
representing my friend’s daughter in order to get her SmartCard refilled!
But
dear reader, this was Jamaicans at their worst!
JUTC in Chaos – KMTR
commuters have until Sunday then it’s straight SmarterCard Cashless
Pushing
and shoving, with frequent line cutters at the front meant the line I was in
was going nowhere. Finally after 2 hours, I was eventually shown by a JUTC
employee the correct place downstairs in the Basement of the Half-Way-Tree
Transport Center.
It
was at that point that I discovered that the older SmartCards could not work
and that I had to get the NEW and IMPROVED SmarterCard! After 2 hours, albeit
the fault was really mine, as the names on the cards are clearly different, I
discovered nonetheless to my dismay that I had to purchase a new Card after
all.
Vexed,
I vowed never to return.
At
least, not until Sunday September 7th 2014 as stated in “JUTC
now accepting cash payments until Sunday”, published Monday, September 01,
2014 7:37 PM, The Jamaica Observer.
As after that date, no Cash will be accepted on the JUTC Bus. So begrudgingly,
I might have to purchase one.
JUTC SmarterCard Launch
not very Smart – SmarterCard for Children at School ONLY
Clearly
the JUTC needs help, both in terms of staff numbers as well as in planning.
The
main problem I see is in the method of getting the word out as it relates to
where you can get your SmarterCard. Albeit there was a sign stating this
clearly at the Half-Way-Tree Transport Center, from as far back as Summer 2014,
advertisements should have been placed in The
Jamaica Gleaner, The Jamaica
Observer, CVM TV as well as on Television Jamaica.
Clearly
the JUTC made no use of Social Media aside from their JUTC Website which isn’t even smartphone
friendly enough to browse through comfortably. JUTC needs to engage the
services of a Marketing Company!
As
for getting the SmarterCard itself, the JUTC should have gone directly to
Schools and registered students and issued Cards there as I’d argued in my blog article
entitled “JUTC
SmarterCard Cashless System to be implemented in the Fourth Quarter of 2013 -
Upgrade buses to use LPG Fuel to reduce Maintenance costs”.
Granting
children a one-day free ride on the JUTC as stated in “JUTC
Grants One Day Amnesty to School Children”, published August 29, 2014 By
Alecia Smith-Edwards, The Jamaica Information
Service to come to ONE Jam-packed location to get a single item that
EVERYONE, including Senior Citizens and adults want, was a recipe for disaster.
Adults
should be the ONLY persons at the Half-Way-Tree Transport Center.
Also
there’s NO NEED for GOJ ID and to surrender my address to get what’s
essentially a bus token, the MAIN reason why I’m very apprehensive about
applying for one. Not so comfortable with what the JUTC could do to victimize
me if they knew where I live, as they are known to discriminate against people
this way.
JUTC SmarterCard Top-up
– No different from Topping up your Digicel phone
As
for Top-up, there should have been an option for persons with a Bank Accounts
to go to any ATM (Automated Teller Machine) of their choice and top up their
SmarterCard as described in my blog article entitled
“JUTC
to debut RFID & NFC Readable SmarterCard Cashless Bus Ticket System in April
2013 - The Last Stand for a Cashless Society to empower the Multi-Modal Concept”.
This
is in similar to how Telecom Providers allow persons to purchase Credit via the
ATM and was the same idea as mentioned in my blog article above.
Those
persons would therefore use the ATM, making the crowd at the Half-Way-Tree
Transport Center smaller. Even better, Mobile Money Platforms similar to
Digicel Haiti’s Cho Cho Mobile as described in my blog article
entitled “Digicel
to roll out Mobile Money Service in 2014 - Haiti Tcho Tcho Mobile Love is
Bringing the Boom with ScotiaBank heralds Cashless Society by 2015”.
For
commuters without a Bank Account, the JUTC should have vendors, both stores and
on the road selling JUTC Credit in a manner similar to how Digicel sell Credit
in at the VERY SAME Digicel store in the Half-Way-Tree Transport Center i.e.
via Vendor top-up.
That
way, buying Credit for your JUTC Card should be no different and any less
convenient than topping up your cellphone as explained in my Geezam blog article entitled “Digicel’s
Green Tick ‘Pay The Right Price’ Campaign”.
Still Boycotting JUTC –
PNP Cash cow for Local and General Elections needs an Audit
I
hope the JUTC succeeds in what they’re doing, despite their evil political
machinations of funding the PNP (People’s National Party) as per my accusation
in my blog
article entitled “JUTC
SmarterCard Rollout and Fare Hike Postponed – Why I'll be boycotting JUTC Buses
anyway as they're not trying to Save Money”.
The
SmarterCard System will reduce losses due to theft as well as make them operate
more efficiently. An external Audit as recommended by former Attorney General
Greg Christie in the article “Greg Christie
Backs JUTC Audit”, Published Monday August 25, 2014 1:18 pm by Jerome
Reynolds, Staff Reporter, The Jamaica
Gleaner would verify where the money is really
going.
More
importantly, they’ll be able to offer other services to the passengers, such as
Frequent Driver Miles just for travelling on the JUTC Buses as I’ve described
in my blog
article entitled “JUTC
rolls out SmarterCard September 2014 - How JA$20 allows Unruly sex-crazed High
School Children and Elderly to Travel and reduce Theft”.
Sunday
is the last day of Cash. After that the JUTC will go Cashless. Visit the JUTC Website for more details!
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