JUTC urging KMTR Commuters to return 9,000 Extra SmarterCards - Adults committing Fraud using stolen High Schooler and Elderly Concession SmarterCards

“In the last week alone 9,000 new Smarter Cards were issued and the company believes that many have been issued in duplicate to persons changing their identities”

Managing Director Colin Campbell commenting on the excess SmarterCards in the KMTR Region on Wednesday October 8^th 2014

The JUTC (Jamaica Urban Transit Company) has a very serious problem that, ironically, is being created by the very Cashless System that was designed to wipe it out: SmarterCard Fraud.

Apparently the JUTC, in their haste to get the SmarterCard System by Sunday September 14^th 2014, the date to which the JUTC had extended their deadline for commuters in the KMTR (Kingston Metropolitan Transport region) to get their SmarterCards as stated in my blog article entitled “JUTC SmarterCard improves - Why JUTC faces PAAC for Operations and Lawsuits Billions as KMTR Commuters Cashless Reprieve”, they may have lapsed a bit in their judgment.

This as there are now there are TOO MANY SmarterCards in the hands of commuters in the KMTR region, as declared by JUTC Managing Director Colin Campbell, who has also called for those persons with extra SmarterCards to return them as noted in the article “JUTC calls for return of extra Smart Cards”, published Tuesday, October 07, 2014 7:42 PM, The Jamaica Observer and “JUTC urges holders of multiple Smarter Cards to return extras”, published Wednesday October 8, 2014 12:09 pm, The Jamaica Gleaner.

What this means is that persons may actually have multiple identities while travelling on the JUTC Bus. Possibly a Commuter may be traveling using a SmarterCard that has them as an adult and then another that affords them a concession, thereby travelling for lower prices e.g. adult travelling using a SmarterCard that has him as a school child or a Senior Citizens.

JUTC Commuters with Multiple Identities – High Schooler and Elderly Concessions attractive

Already, the Jamaica Star has carried the story of a 35 year-old Portmore, St Catherine man, Marcus Atkins, who was caught and fined JA$100,000 for travelling on a JUTC Bus using a SmarterCard for a child as noted in the article entitled “Smart Card thief fined $100,000”, published October 16, 2014 by Rasbert Turner, Star Writer, The Jamaica Star.

Please note that even though he was convicted and fined by a Resident Magistrate Lyle Armstrong, it can easily be the case that he had registered for a SmarterCard using the Stolen Identification of a High School student, opening up the possibility that persons may now be resorting to identity theft to get the highly-prized Concessionary Cards that the High Schooler and Elderly are toting.

To this end, the JUTC has now made it a requirement that persons applying for a new or replacement JUTC SmarterCard need to show GOJ (Government of Jamaica) Identification i.e. Election Registration Card, Driver’s License or Jamaican Passport as stated in the article “JUTC says ID cards now needed to get Smarter Cards”, published Wednesday, October 08, 2014 11:02 AM, The Jamaica Observer.

So what about the 9,000 extras in circulation?

With no way to really tell legitimate from illegitimate unless the Bus Drivers ask for GOJ ID, the JUTC may have been sold on the idea of solving the Cashless problem using the SmarterCard, only to create a new one, that of people not paying according to who they are to travel on the JUTC Bus.

Beyond the JUTC SmarterCard – AVL to satisfy Smartphone Crowd wondering where it their Bus

Managing Director Colin Campbell certainly won't lose his head over this minor hiccup, despite persons calling for his head, whether for this problem of 9,000 missing SmarteCards or the theft of JA$3 million worth of spare parts as noted in the article “Radcliffe Lewis supporting JUTC boss amid calls for his resignation”, published Friday October 10, 2014 7:03 pm, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Especially as the much touted AVL (Automatic Vehicle Locator) is yet to roll out as I’d predicted 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”.

The JUTC still has problems with the efficiency as it relates to the Buses use of fuel, a problem easily solved by the JUTC Buses using LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) as noted in my blog article entitled “JUTC faced PAAC on Wednesday September 17th 2014 – JUTC Buses can’t run on ULSD as LPG Better for the JUTC Buses Fuel Injectors”.

It might even be a part of the Dr. Vincent Lawrence led six-member ESET (Electricity Sector Enterprise Team) to replace the 381MW Project as noted in my blog article entitled “Dr. Vincent Lawrence ESET sets 2017 for 381 MW Project - Why JPS Co says LNG even though Ethane and Propane cheaper as Hydrogen Economy possible”, as an LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) infrastructure could also be extended to power the JUTC Buses, lowering their overall cost of operation dramatically!