The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

The number of passengers using public transportation was yesterday said to have decreased by 40 percent due to the coronavirus-imposed 30-day cruise industry shutdown and school closures.

Harrison Moxey, the United Public Transportation Company’s (UPTC) president, told Tribune Business: “Things have been slowed down, and there have been some cut backs. Particularly from the western areas there has been less transportation, less movement for the tourists, and the closure of schools has reduced movement by 40 percent at least.”

Mr Moxey added that the main bus routes affected are Number 10; Number 10a and the Number 12b. “Those western routes would feel a direct impact, but all routes are feeling the effects of it. School closure within itself impacts our movement. Those are some of the challenges right there,” he said.

“So you have about a 30 or 40 percent less movement, and I imagine it would affect the taxi drivers as well - less cruise ship passengers moving up and down, and only just a handful for us to contend for.”

Asked whether some bus drivers may temporarily stop operating, Mr Moxey replied: “Because most bus drivers operate independently of franchises with different responsibilities, it’s really the first two days since things have happened.

“I imagine we are going to see what happens by the end of the week; what the impact would be running on the road versus the burning of fuel and that type of thing. So probably by the end of the week we would be able to better assess, but the fear may calm or it may increase, so it can go from bad to worse but, at least for the next two weeks, we can prepare for a decrease in movement.”

Mr Moxey said jitney drivers were cleaning and sanitising their vehicles to combat the potential spread of the coronavirus. He added: “We are praying as a nation, and as a country, we can rebound from this as expeditiously as possible.

“We want to advise the general public to take all of the necessary precautions and, if you are feeling sick and having flu-like symptoms, you should get tested and we don’t advise you to use public transportation because it is a very enclosed environment.

“We would want the busses, as far as possible, to not use air conditioning but to ride with the windows open to allow for fresh air to circulate through the vehicle.”