Bailiffs seize MoBay Metro bus

WESTERN BUREAU:

BAILIFFS, accompanied by police officers, ordered passengers to disembark one of two Montego Bay Metro Bus Company buses late Tuesday afternoon and seized the public passenger vehicle, one of two which plies the Montego Bay to Falmouth, Trelawny, route.

The seizure of the state-owned, rural transportation took place at the Montego Bay Metro transportation centre on Barnett Street in St James, reportedly over $5 million owed to the Government.

At the time of the seizure, it was not immediately clear as to which government agency, or ministry, the Metro Bus Company is indebted to, but based on unconfirmed reports, the bailiff reportedly acted on the orders of the court.

The Montego Metro was established in September 1997 to provide a dedicated school bus service for students and teachers in St James and its environs. Service was later extended to the public sector in 2002, when its shares were acquired by the Government of Jamaica to facilitate improved bus service to the citizens of Montego Bay and Trelawny.

Several phone calls on Tuesday afternoon to Shasha-Gaye Brown, general manager at the bus company, went unanswered.

However, when contacted, chairman of the Montego Bay Metro Company Limited, Collin Murray, expressed surprise at the incident.

“I have no such knowledge,” said Murray, in a Gleaner interview.

When told that the bus was seized on the basis that the Government is owed money, he said he was not aware of that and promised to investigate the matter.

Steered clear

Like Murray, dispatchers, drivers and conductors with whom The Gleaner spoke would only confirm that the incident took place.

However, they steered clear of providing any other details on the matter.

According to one of several passengers, the experience was shocking as they were all sitting inside the bus at the parking bay, waiting for its scheduled departure.

“Myself and several passengers, along with the driver and conductor, just got put off Montego Bay Metro in the bus park by bailiffs and police who seized the bus, saying they’re ordered by the court to so do as the Government is owed money,” said the passenger, on condition of anonymity.

“I overheard the bailiff saying, ‘if it doesn’t value $5 million, we will be coming for more’,” the passenger recalled.

Only last week, Opposition spokesman on transport, Mikael Phillips, said Montego Bay Metro is in terminal decline as it is operating with only six buses, down from a fleet of 17 in 2016.

“This company which should provide transit service to general commuters, students and the elderly in St James, Hanover and Trelawny is now down to an operating fleet of six,” said Phillips.

He noted a plan by the Government’s to refurbish three units, to bring the fleet up to nine. But Phillips, in his contribution to the Budget debate, said that move on the part of the Government is woefully inadequate.

“That is a drop in the bucket because Montego Metro needs a fleet of 30 buses to provide adequate seats to the western city,” Phillips noted.