Why Minister Omar Davies killed the JRC Passenger Train Service and Islandwide JUTC Bus Service

“This administration is actively pursuing the resuscitation of the railway......It (Enterprise Team) is moving full speed ahead to entertain requests for proposals and consider these requests, and we expect a railway operation in the future of this country and indeed in the future of this Administration”

Finance Minister Dr. Peter Phillips comments in Parliament on Tuesday December 11^th 2012 while seeking the Upper House’s approval for North-South Link of Highway 2000 by the National Road Operating and Constructing Company Limited

I am today both confused and elated in one go. This as the GOJ’s (Government of Jamaica) made yet another strange announcement as summarized above and thus far only reported by The Jamaica Observer in the article “Now Gov’t wants to revive train service”, published Sunday, December 16, 2012, The Jamaica Observer. In short, the GOJ’s planning to revive the JRC (Jamaica Railways Corporation) Railway Passenger Service as described in my blog article entitled “Jamaican Transport Sector and Railways - The Money Train is Coming with Senator Mike Henry”.

First the confused part!

A strange about-face from their previous held position some six (6) months after the Minister of Transport and Works Omar Davies made the decision in Parliament on Wednesday June 20^th 2012 to abandon the Railways as reported in “The train's not coming, baby!”, published Thursday, June 21, 2012 by Ingrid Brown, The Jamaica Observer. At the time, the argument was that it was seen as being too costly to maintain, losing some JA$2.5 million per month.

So by this about-face again, the GOJ’s tacitly agreeing with former Minister of Transport and Works Mike Henry’s statement that, quote “Let us hope to God that we don't think it is not viable or important in the development of the country as no modern world develops without the railway system” as per the article “Don’t abandon rail service, warns Henry”, published Wednesday, August 15, 2012 BY TANESHA MUNDLE Observer staff reporter, The Jamaica Observer.

For those with very short memories it was under the former Minister of Transport and Works Mike Henry watch that the Passenger Railway Service had been revived, officially inaugurated on Saturday April 16^th 2011AD as stated in the article `“Spanish Town excited about train service”, published Tuesday April 12 2011 17:28:47, Go-Jamaica and “Train coaches roll into Old Capital for Test Run”, published Wednesday April 13, 2011, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Now for the Elated part!

GOJ’s decision means that the Multi-Modal Transport concept of Planes, Trains and Aeroplanes necessary for easy travel islandwide as prognosticated in my blog article entitled “JRC Trains and JUTC Buses coming in Fourth Quarter of 2011AD - Fifth Dimension's Up, Up and Away” is on track to be fulfilled.

Eventually the market sellers and Farmers from Clarendon along with School Children may one day be able to travel to Kingston with Freight making up the bulk of traffic back into the island’s interior as envisioned in my blog article entitled “JRC, Scotts Pass and Senator Mike Henry –  Molly Wood Keeping up with the Kardashians”.

Hopefully too, this announcement by the Finance Minister Dr. Peter Phillips, curiously based on advice by the same Minister of Transport and Works Omar Davies, also includes further development of the Downtown Municipal Transport Centre and expanding the JUTC’s (Jamaica Urban Transport Center) service islandwide as reported in my blog article entitled “JUTC and the Downtown Municipal Transport Centre - Planes, Trains & Automobiles”.

This multi-modal concept is not just for FDI (Foreign Direct Investors) and Jamaicans to have options for easier in transportation to the Rural interior and back to civilization in Kingston or Montego Bay. It’s mainly, in my eyes, to aid the continued development of our Jamaica’s Future: our Education System and the many children having difficulty traveling to school in the rural Areas.

A Well-developed robust Multi-modal System aid in lowering the cost and makes it easier for them to travel; making this of interest to the Minister of Education Ronald Thwaites as it would eliminate this idea of not being able to go to the school of your choice because of lack of transportation due to expense and safety issues as noted in the article “Expensive and Unsafe”, published Tuesday December 11, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner.

This time around, too, I hope the GOJ finds a suitable FDI (Foreign Direct Investor) via an open bidding process and replaces the current Trains with Trains that use LNG (Liquid Natural Gas) as described in my blog article entitled “JUTC, Challenger and LNG - Journey to the Center of the Earth”. This would reduce maintenance costs associated with the JRC Trains, making them more efficient by avoiding the use and consumption of Bunker “C” Oil or Heavy Diesel used in Trains currently and easily fouls the Engines.

Throw in contracts for Freight from Private Sector companies interested in reducing their transportation costs. Even making them partners in the JRC by having them own Trains in much the same way you can own a container should generate enough Revenue for the venture to be successful and eliminate the JA$2.5 million in monthly maintenance costs, thus making the Railways break-even, if not profitable.

The GOJ’s change of mindset as it relates to Trains is a good step back in the right direction, and puts the Multi-Modal approach to Transportation in Jamaica back on track, pun very much intended.  Hopefully, it will also be reflected in a change of mindset as it relates to an islandwide rollout of the JUTC to replace the confused system of JATOO affiliated taxis and buses as predicted in my blog article entitled “JATOO and the Transportation Revolution in Jamaica - Babylon By Bus”.

Proving in the long run that the GOJ isn’t Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away (2012) but has revived this necessary service so it does Not Fade Away (2012)! Folks, stay turned to my blog as I track this breaking development as the GOJ gets back on track with the Multi-Modal Transportation concept.

Minister of Justice Mark Golding Environmental Policy means All-Electric Vehicles and Flex-Fuel Vehicles coming

“One imperative is the importation of more environmentally friendly units in the island, particularly in terms of emissions, fuel use and strict adherence to age-limit restrictions. The intention is to avoid an over-abundance of older and often less efficient units in the island”

Minister of Justice Mark Golding at the launch of the company's new Suzuki showroom at South Camp Road, Kingston, on Thursday, November 29^th 2012

There’s a bit of panic now among User Car Retailers.  It appears that the GOJ (Government of Jamaica) is finally going to make policy changes to Vehicle Importation that, if I’m reading the Stars and Symbols right, means that All-Electric Vehicles and Flex-Fuel Vehicles will have the Common External Tariff removed altogether.

This after the GOJ had implemented a broad increase of the Common External Tariff on all imported vehicles in June 2012 moving from 20% to 30%. The GOJ may also be allowing Private Sector Companies to source their own Vehicles themselves, bypassing Local Car dealers altogether in a bid to reduce the cost of outfitting their fleets of vehicles. Something sure to make Used and New Car Dealers cringe if this trend catches on via Legislation!

This as stated in the article “Motor vehicle policy changes coming”, published Monday December 3, 2012 8:53 am, The Jamaica Gleaner. Possibly even the 2013 Nissan Leaf or other Range Extender Technology based All-Electric Vehicles may be making an appearance in Jamaica as per my blog article entitled “Nissan Debuts the 2013 Nissan Leaf - 228 km range good for commute to The House at the End of the Street”. If this development pans out, my blog article pitches an argument that’s very compelling.

This as promised in the article “PM promises 'fair' motor- import policy review”, published Sunday December 2, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner with the overall intention as implied above: Reducing Jamaica’s fuel bill by having more Fuel and Energy Efficient Vehicles on the Road.

Looks like the GOJ’s under pressure from the Media (and yours truly!!) who made a point of throwing out the Bad Apple at their choice of purchasing SUV’s that were by their very nature fuel inefficient as noted in as per my blog article entitled “GOJ buys SUV's for Ministers of Government from Toyota Jamaica - All-Electric Vehicle Importation Support is needed from GOJ to be The Master of our Fuel Consumption”. This as the GOJ tries to reduce its Fuel Bill, sending a contradictory message to the Jamaican Public.

But more importantly is what’s at stake; the Environment and the Air we breathe. If you’d perused my blog article entitled “Nissan Debuts the 2013 Nissan Leaf - 228 km range good for commute to The House at the End of the Street”, it should be abundantly clear to you that All-Electric Vehicles are more fuel efficient and save the city-dwelling commuter on Gasoline. Being able to drive for two (2) weeks on a single charge for short commutes about Kingston is as good as it get with All-Electric Vehicles.

Plus, a recent study by the Institute for Automotive Research (IFA) at the Nürtingen–Geislingen University, which is located of Porsche and Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart, Germany, reveals a 35% reduction on average in Maintenance costs over an eight (8) year period when compared to a Gas-powered Vehicles as stated in the article “Study shows EV maintenance is cheaper by a third when compared to regular cars”, published DECEMBER 7, 2012, BY JACOB JOSEPH, DigitalTrends. 

Real World Data folks, also viewable in the article “Electric Car Maintenance A Third Cheaper Than Combustion Vehicles?” published December 6, 2012 By Antony Ingram Antony Ingram, TheGreenCarReports!

All-Electric Vehicle Recharging Stations will start springing up like poppies, albeit self-recharging at home may be more popular, much in the same way one currently walks with a USB Cable to recharge their Blackberry, if Dwight Cousins, Energy Solutions Department Manager at Isratech Jamaica Limited in his letter to Editor entitled “More on Isratech's solar operation” published Sunday November 11, 2012, The Jamaica Gleaner is right about the reduced pricing of Solar Panel construction in Jamaica.

Used Car Dealers are already facing shortage of spare parts since 2010 as per the article back in October 2010 entitled “Spare Parts shortage hits used-car Trade”, published Friday October 22 2010, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Now that shortage’s set to get more acute based on the words coming from JUCDA (Jamaica Used Car Dealers' Association) President Lynvalle Hamilton as stated in the article “Brace for higher used-car prices, says JUCDA”, published Friday December 14, 2012 by Marcella Scarlett, Business Reporter The Jamaica Gleaner due to following factors:

1.      Stronger demand for Used Cars from other Developing Countries such as India and Africa, who’re willing to pay higher prices for used vehicles

2.      Japanese themselves are holding on to their Motor Vehicles longer, despite Japanese mandated law for vehicles to be change every three (3) years

3.      The sliding Jamaica dollar and the strengthening yen against the US currency. In plain English, more Jamaican dollar to get the US Dollars which are in turn losing value against the Japanese yen, making vehicles more expensive.

4.      Lack of a Local Manufacturing of Motor Vehicles in Jamaica

5.      Higher import tariffs imposed by the GOJ on Used Cars, as explained above

More importantly, this change’ll benefit Fuel-Efficient Vehicles such as the 2013 Tata Nano which goes on sale on Saturday December 15 2012 as reported in my blog article entitled “2013 Tata Nano on available in Jamaica from Metis Motors by December 15th 2012 - All-Electric Vehicles potential in Jamaica Gangham Style” and my Geezam blog article entitled “Metis Motors intro’s 2nd Generation Tata Nano to Ja signaling Black and Yellow for All-Electric Vehicles”.

Manufacturing of All-Electric Vehicles may also be possible in Jamaica too, once the Cost of Energy goes down significantly. Ditto the development of a Local Bio-Fuel Industry as predicted in my blog article entitled “ATL Automotive to benefit from Low-Sulphur Diesel in 12 Months Time - Bio-Fuels Resident Evil Apocalypse” and the use of Auto LPG as per my Geezam blog article entitled “Auto LPG as a Motor Vehicle Fuel”.

Expect an official announcement in a few days’ time. Expect too, news on the use of Cameras in Capturing Traffic offences. This is the much argued Automated Traffic Ticketing System which would be possible via legislative changes in the use of Cameras be it Videos, Still images or Recorded Sounds as a habeus corpus for a crime as argued in my blog article entitled “Handheld Traffic Ticketing Units for Jamaican Police a success but no Automated Traffic Ticketing System - GOJ fears the All Seeing Eyes of CCTV”.

Hopefully too this Automated Traffic Ticketing System along with Police with Handheld Traffic Ticketing Units will Ticket people with Motor Vehicles that are also creating a pollution nuisance and not meeting NEPA’s (National Environment Protection Agency) and the BSJ (Bureau of Standard Jamaica) standards as it relates to Vehicle Emissions. That’s a bigger source of revenue than just red lights; lots of drivers driving in Jamaica that have poorly maintained vehicles that in some case may not be even roadworthy, a source of increased Revenues for the cash-strapped GOJ.

Stayed tuned to my blog folks! Change you Can Believe in is Coming in the New Motor Vehicle World, All-Electric and Flex-Fuel Vehicle Style as the Used Car Dealers are on The Guilt Trip (2012). More on the Automated Traffic Ticketing System changes coming in another article…..

Competition in Mobile POS coming from Square as SHARP is rescued by Qualcomm - Move to Mobile Computing On the Road indicates SHARP's Playing for Keeps

Cash Registers and POS (Point of Sale) Devices that are Mobile and based on Tablets such as the Apple iPad are set to be big in 2013 as evidenced from the article “Square's Next Move Might Be An Android Cash Register”, published June 5, 2012, 5:22 PM by Owen Thomas, Business Insider          and “Tablets signal turning point for small-business POS solutions”, published July 24, 2012 - 01:03 GMT (18:03 PDT) By Heather Clancy, ZDNet. 

And that means big business for Square in the future, a conclusion that can be drawn from the positive forecast by Square’s COO Keith Rabois, as reported in “Square COO predicts monster 2013, says Starbucks is just the beginning”, published December 14, 2012 4:00 AM PST by Daniel Terdiman, CNET News.

Square’s hit US$10 billion in yearly transactions, a milestone they achieved in November 2012 as stated in  “Square hits $10 billion in annual payments processed”, published November 14, 2012 10:12 AM PST by Daniel Terdiman, CNET News. Square now boasts 3 million users and 250,000 merchants utilizing Square Wallet.

Albeit more of a danger to Google Wallet and their NFC Based Technology that’s yet to take off with the masses as noted back in May 2011 in my blog articles entitled “Google Wallet & Offers vs Square & PayPal - SME's International FlashDance”, they’re also potentially a competitor with Cash Register and POS Makers such as Sony and SHARP Corp of Japan.

Square began as the brainchild of Twitter founder Jack Dorsey as another App on the Apple iPhone with a Credit/Debit Card swipe reader that makes taking payments on the Go a cinch as explained in my blog articles entitled “CLARO and Square - The App of the Year 2010 and CLARO's Savior”. Back then I’d seen the potential of Mobile Payments in Jamaica powered by CLARO 3G and thus penned the article above.

By May 2011, Square had moved on with major endorsements by VISA via direct investments and a place of honour in Apple Stores as one of the products it sells as accessories to go with the Apple iPhone as reported in in my blog articles entitled “VISA and Jack Dorsey's Square - Leena's TechCrunch of SME's Mad Money”.

Now they got Starbucks as a major partner using their Mobile POS Platform for all 7,000 of its outlet, also announced in August of 2012 as stated in “Square, Starbucks aim to give mobile payments a jolt”, published August 7, 2012 9:50 PM PDT by Steven Musil, CNET News. This deal was eventually finalized in November 2012 as per the article “Square launches mobile payment service at 7,000 Starbucks”, published November 7, 2012 10:30 PM PST by Steven Musil, CNET News,  the highlight of 2012 for the two (2) year old start-up.

2013 looks to be another monster year of milestones, with major partnerships on the horizon such as high-end clothing retailer Burberry as reported in the article “Square to ink payment-processing deal with Burberry - report”, published December 12, 2012 6:56 AM PST by Don Reisinger, CNET News,  with other potential suitors and VC (Venture Capitalists) lining up to invest in Square. IPO (Initial Public Offer) by 2015, anyone?

This is the same Square I’d predicted back in May 2011 would make Cash Registers obsolete as prognosticated in in my blog articles entitled “Square and the Cash Register - SME Deep Impact”. This would be slowly achieved via its Square app, Widget and its use of smartphones and Tablets as a Mobile replacement for Cash Registers. A prediction I made long before I began working at ACCENT marketing as a TES (Technical Engagement Specialist) on the SHARP Account, on Monday June 25^th 2012.

Come Christmas day, I and my compadres from training will be employed for exactly six (6) months on at ACCENT Marketing. We were all trained on the same legacy products: Cash Registers, MFP (Multi-Function Copiers), Fax Machines and a motley crue of other products that’ll eventually die away, such as Typewriters, Cordless Phones and Organizers.

But I love Cash Registers and the job in general, as it involves an old flame from my Glenmuir High School as described in my Geezam Blog article entitled “IBM and the Watson”: Computer Programming.

All slowly being killed off by smartphones and Tablets as per my Geezam blog article entitled “How the Apple iPad killed Ultrabooks, Printing and the Mouse as the World Rediscovers Tablets”. Microsoft has finally realized this; that’s why they’re investing in their survival by outing the Surface Tablet as stated in my blog articles entitled “Microsoft debuts Windows 8 with new Surface Tablets - PixelSense rebranding as the Dark Knight Rises to defeat PC World”.

So a Mobile Cash Register and POS Revolution’s on the Horizon from SHARP? I’d like to think so; already POS Devices that are Windows based are under attack by a Malware named Dexter, which oddly is targeting English speaking countries to steal Credit Cards as stated in the article “New 'Dexter' malware strikes point-of-sale systems”, published December 14, 2012 6:25 AM PST by Charlie Osborne, CNET News.

If Hackers are taking the time to go after POS Devices, then it indicates their value in terms on conducting transactions, as POS hacks are rare; I can’t remember the last time I heard of malware or viruses targeting POS to steal Credit Card numbers.

If they’re that valuable in term of the transactions they facilitate, then it’s clearly a growing area for SHARP and other Cash Register and POS makers, hence the reason why Square’s products are targeting the extinction of Cash Registers. SHARP Corp of Japan, with Qualcomm’s coming to their rescue as predicted in my blog article entitled “Qualcomm, Intel and Dell to invest in SHARP of Japan - The Rescuers need smartphones, Tablets and Cash Registers”, needs to invest in the design of better Cash Registers and POS and merge them into one common package.

Already others are looking to invest in SHARP Corp of Japan and get access to its low-cost, low-power cutting-edge Tablet and Smartphone components to make more of the same. Apple iPhone 5’s are made using screen components supplied by SHARP Corp of Japan as noted in my blog article entitled “SHARP and JDI making 5-inch 1080p Smartphone Screens -  Here Comes the Boom  as 1080p Screens, Quad-Core the next Big Thing for Apple iPhone”.

Intel’s allegedly planning to invest some 40 Billion yen ($500 million or £315 million) in SHARP Corp of Japan as stated in the article “Sharp shares jump on Intel investment report”, published 14 November 2012 Last updated at 06:34 GMT, BBC News. So more investor centri News like this’ll start trickling in soon.

To reiterate, their needs a clearly defined Roadmap for Smartphones, Tablets, with the immediate rescue of Cash Register/POS being priority number one. Recommended are the following specs:

1.      Dockable Capacitive Touch Screen Tablet with a screen keyboard layout emulating XEA106 up to XEA207, XEA407 or XEA507.

2.      Screen Removable at the end of the day to reduce tampering

3.      Open Source Google Android with Developer Support; Windows is Hacker prone

4.      Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) Wireless Internet, Ethernet Port to support Networking

5.      Remote Sales Archiving Upgrade of their Customer Support Tools to allow for automated backup of Sales and Programming Data

6.      Ability to work as a standalone Cash Register as well as integratable into a POS Network via simple software update

7.      Built-in Remote Login Programming option enabled for Prime Registered customers, similar to the AQUOS Advantage Program. Can login to each Cash Register or POS and monitor transactions live

8.      Login to Cash Register based on either a password or biometric Identification based System

9.      Experienced SHARP TES (Technical Engagement Specialists) Remote Login to the Cash Register and program it for the Customer at their request

10.  Browser support for Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome to allow secure browsing for Online Help Resources with Cash Register

11.  Built in support for NFC, UPC Scanner as well as Credit Card Reader

12.  Synching with SHARP branded Smartphones and Tablets as described in my blog article entitled “SHARP Launches the Aquos Pad SHT 21 sporting IGZO Technology - Paranormal Activity 4 Portable AQUOS TV, Cash Registers and Apple iPad 4”.

With these improvements to Cash Registers and a renewed focus on profitability via capitalizing on the boom in Mobile Computing i.e. Smartphones and Tablets, SHARP Corp of Japan will fight off the coming competition from Square in the POS and Cash Register Market by embracing the move to Mobile Computing On the Road (2012) and thus Playing for Keeps (2012).