First Jamaican Bus Survey
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ft R. H. WEEDY, the newly appointed al general manager of Jamaican Omnibus Services, Ltd., has just returned to England after making a preliminary survey of passenger transport in Kingston, Jamaica, The Jamaican company has, as announced in The Commercial Motor on May 8, been formed by the British Electric Traction Co., Ltd., Close Bros., Ltd., and United Transport Co., Ltd.
The monopoly of passenger transport in the corporate area of Kingston, formerly held by Jamaica Utilities, Ltd., has been revoked. That company's franchise is not being taken over by the new undertaking and a fresh one has had to be negotiated.
The date on which Jamaican Omnibus Services, Ltd., will begin operations is not yet settled, neither is it known whether they will have to take over any of the American White buses run by Jamaica Utilities. They obviously would not wish to do so, as the American vehicles are petrol-engined and are understood to yield no more than 3 m.p.g. British buses will be introduced as soon as possible.
Mr. Weedy, when general manager of City of Oxford Motor Services, Ltd., earned fame through his bold handling of a difficult labour situation. Even firmer measures will be needed in Jamaica, where the bus workers are notoriously temperamental.
A visitor from Kingston told The Commercial Motor that the decision whether to pick up or set down passengers depended entirely on the temper of the driver or conductor. He quoted a case in which a conductor refused to carry an elderly woman to market with a basket of fish because he did not like the smell of fish.
In another instance, a driver abandoned his vehicle five miles from its terminus on a hilly route in order LO attend a dance. It was the only bus of the day on that route. On a further occasion, after a quarrel between a driver and conductor during a layover period, the driver left the conductor at the terminus and took the vehicle back to base. The passengers travelled free.