Caribbean News

63 New CNG Buses Arrive

Published

3 months ago

June 19, 2025

KINGSTON, June 19 (JIS): The Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) fleet has been boosted with the arrival of 63 new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.

Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz, and a team consisting of JUTC Managing Director, Owen Ellington, and Managing Director of Stewart’s Automotive Group, Duncan Stewart, were on site at Kingston Wharves on Thursday (June 19), to witness the arrival of the Yutong buses.

The Minister noted that arrival of the buses is a fulfilment of his commitment to provide the JUTC with 100 buses per year for three years.

“We are now in year two and already the second hundred buses are due to arrive in Jamaica. Sixty-three buses arrived today and are being unloaded. Another thirty coach diesel buses for excursions/charters will arrive on July 9 and another seven CNG buses for [persons with disabilities] will arrive in August of 2025. So, I will deliver on the second hundred buses within the first three months of the new financial year,” Mr. Vaz outlined.

He pointed out that with the latest arrival of buses, the JUTC now has more new buses in its fleet than older ones.

Mr. Vaz said the new CNG buses will operate out of the Spanish Town depot, where a new CNG fueling facility is now under construction and expected to be completed by the last week of August.

“Those buses that are now at Spanish Town will be redeployed in some instances to improve the existing service and to continue to expand the routes. So, this is a game changer for public transport in Jamaica,” the Minister said.

He noted that the JUTC has been seeing fewer complaints in recent months and commended the JUTC management for providing improved service to citizens.

Mr. Vaz pointed out that the new buses will positively contribute to service delivery, as they will reduce wait times on critical routes.

Each bus has a full capacity of up to 80 passengers distributed between seated and standing.

The Minister explained that the buses will do an average of six trips per day each, transporting at maximum capacity a total of 480 passengers per bus per day.

This means the full cohort of 70 CNG buses (the remaining seven are to arrive in August) will be able to transport 33,600 passengers per day. “That is going to improve existing routes, expand routes, and most importantly, bring the wait time for passengers down,” Mr. Vaz affirmed.

In his remarks, Mr. Ellington advised that information regarding the routes that the new buses will be placed on is to be put in the public domain shortly, so commuters can begin to anticipate the increased seats on their routes.

“We have done some service planning ahead of the arrival of these buses, so we know the routes that are currently underserved and require additional seats,” the Managing Director said.

He noted that the new CNG buses bring the JUTC’s operable fleet to approximately 350 units.

The new buses were procured by the Ministry, through the Stewart’s Automotive Group. The dealership’s Managing Director emphasised that the state-of-the-art 12-metre 51-seat CNG buses will deliver superior service to the commuting public.

“Some of the highlights of the buses are that we have more space in the bus, so the leg room and shoulder room in the bus is superior; the bus is equipped with air suspension, so it is very comfortable even on our roads and we have superior fuel economy, and this is very important for JUTC’s operations,” Mr. Stewart explained.

The buses are also equipped with air suspension, allowing them to lower for passengers to board, and charging ports for mobile devices.

CONTACT: DONIQUE WESTON

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

Photos by Adrian Walker.

Header: Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz (second right), inspects a shipment of CNG buses at Kingston Wharves on Thursday (June 19). He is accompanied by (from left) Managing Director of Stewart’s Automotive Group, Duncan Stewart; Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) Managing Director, Owen Ellington; JUTC Director of Operations, Romain-Khade Gayle and General Manager for Terminal Operations at Kingston Wharves, Ryan Peart. A total of 63 buses arrived and will be handed over to the JUTC to boost its fleet.

1st insert: Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz (right), poses with one of the new CNG buses that arrived at Kingston Wharves on Thursday (June 19). He is joined in the photo by Managing Director of Stewart’s Automotive Group, Duncan Stewart (left) and Managing Director of Stewart’s Auto Sales Ltd., Jackie Stewart Lechler. A total of 63 buses arrived and they will be handed over to the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) to boost its fleet.

2nd insert: One of the 63 new CNG buses procured for the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) is offloaded at Kingston Wharves on Thursday (June 19).

3rd insert: Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz, gives his approval after touring one of the 63 new CNG buses that arrived at Kingston Wharves on Thursday (June 19). The buses will be handed over to the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC).

4th insert: Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz, inspects a shipment of CNG buses that arrived at Kingston Wharves on Thursday (June 19). The 63 buses will be handed over to the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), to boost its fleet.

Related Topics:#JUTC #magneticmedianews #newCNGbusesarrive

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Guyanese Scholar and Olympian Arrested in Iowa ICE Crackdown

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4 days ago

September 27, 2025

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September 27, 2025 – In a shocking breach of public trust and institutional oversight, Ian Andre Roberts, superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, who is a citizen of Guyana, was arrested on September 26 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under a string of serious offenses that raise troubling questions about hiring practices, accountability, and public safety.

Roberts, born in Georgetown, Guyana, is a former Olympian and accomplished scholar. According to online reports, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Coppin State University after transferring from St. Francis College in Brooklyn, where he played soccer. He holds two master’s degrees—from St. John’s University and Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business—attended an Executive MBA program at MIT Sloan School of Management and earned a doctorate in education with a focus on urban educational leadership from Trident University.

Despite these accomplishments, Roberts was living and working without legal authorization. ICE reported that he fled a traffic stop and abandoned his school-issued vehicle. At the time of his arrest, he was reportedly in possession of a loaded handgun, a fixed-blade hunting knife, and $3,000 in cash. He also has a prior weapons-related charge.

ICE officials questioned how Roberts could hold such a prominent role while subject to a final deportation order issued in May 2024. The school district said they were unaware of his immigration status, noting that he had undergone background checks and completed an I-9 form confirming work authorization. Roberts was placed on administrative leave pending further investigation.

This case highlights vulnerabilities in systems meant to safeguard public institutions and underscores the challenges ICE faces in identifying individuals operating outside U.S. immigration laws while in positions of authority.

For many, Roberts has become a near-literal poster child for these enforcement gaps.

Caribbean News

Bermuda Shaken by Targeted Murder as Crime Returns After a Decade of Calm

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1 week ago

September 21, 2025

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Bermuda is reeling after the brazen murder of 37-year-old Janae Minors, a mother of two, who was gunned down in her own beauty supply store on Court Street, Pembroke. The attack, which police describe as “targeted,” has rattled the island, not only for its brutality but for what it says about the state of law and order in a country that less than a decade ago was celebrating a dramatic fall in violent crime.

The Attack on Court Street

According to police, at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16, a lone gunman pulled up on a stolen black motorcycle, walked into the Beauty Monster shop Minors owned, and shot her multiple times. Despite the rapid response of emergency services, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after being transported to hospital.

Detectives say the killer was thin, tall, dressed in dark clothing with a full-face helmet, and wearing bright gloves. CCTV shows him fleeing north on Court Street, down Tills Hill toward TCD, before turning onto Marsh Folly Road. Investigators are pursuing all leads, with a focus on recovering evidence from nearby cameras and eyewitness accounts.

Police Commissioner Darrin Simons confirmed the attack bore the hallmarks of gang-related violence, a chilling indicator that Bermuda’s gang rivalries — long simmering beneath the surface — may once again be spilling into broad daylight.

A Vibrant Life Cut Short

Minors, remembered as a hardworking entrepreneur with “a vibrant, beautiful personality,” leaves behind two children, ages 16 and 18. Her murder has ignited outrage across Bermuda, not just for its senselessness but for its timing: the island had once prided itself on virtually stamping out gun violence.

Then: Near-Zero Murders

Back in 2014, Bermuda made international headlines for reporting zero firearm murders — a remarkable achievement given the small island had endured a spate of gang-related shootings in the early 2010s. Police credited intelligence-led operations, tighter firearms interdictions, and aggressive prosecutions of gang leaders. Community programs and mentoring initiatives also played a role, giving at-risk youth alternatives to gang life.

By 2015 and 2016, gun crime was at historic lows. That period was hailed as proof Bermuda could beat back the tide of violence with coordinated policing, social investment, and political will.

Now: Alarming Resurgence

Fast forward nine years, and the picture looks starkly different. In 2024 and 2025, Bermuda has recorded a rise in gun-related deaths. Rival gangs such as Parkside and 42 have resurged, fueled by a new generation of recruits. Economic pressures, high youth unemployment, and the easy flow of smuggled firearms through maritime routes have undermined earlier gains.

Community trust in the police has also eroded, making investigations harder and retaliations more likely. Opposition MPs and neighborhood leaders warn that without sustained focus, Bermuda risks sliding back into the violent cycles of the early 2010s.

Public Alarm and Political Pressure

Premier David Burt condemned Minors’ killing as “an escalation of community violence that cannot be tolerated,” promising stronger enforcement and deeper engagement with residents. The Bermuda Police Service has appealed for CCTV, dashcam, and doorbell footage from the area, urging residents that even the smallest detail could break the case.

Yet among the public, frustration is growing. People remember the calm of 2014 — when zero murders were recorded — and cannot understand how the island has returned to headlines dominated by gun violence. The contrast is stark: from celebrating the elimination of gun murders to confronting the targeted execution of a businesswoman in broad daylight.

A Test for Bermuda’s Future

The murder of Janae Minors has become more than a single case; it is now a symbol of Bermuda’s struggle to hold on to the progress it once made. The question facing the island is whether the successes of a decade ago can be replicated and sustained in today’s harsher climate of economic pressure and gang rivalries.

For Minors’ family, nothing can erase the tragedy of losing a mother and daughter so violently. But for Bermuda at large, her death is a wake-up call — that the island cannot afford complacency when it comes to crime.

As one community leader put it: “Nine years ago, we had beaten this. Now, we’re back to fearing what happens when the sun goes down. That is not the Bermuda we want to live in.”

Caribbean News

CARICOM-Africa Summit Yields Draft Pact on Trade, Travel and Reparations

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2 weeks ago

September 19, 2025

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Imagine an Atlantic Bridge connecting the Caribbean Region to the African Continent

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — When CARICOM leaders convened with African counterparts and Afreximbank officials in Ethiopia, the outcomes were savory and exactly what many Caribbean people want to see materialise as the islands become uniquely reconnected to the African continent.

At the Second CARICOM-Africa Summit, held at the African Union headquarters, leaders moved beyond symbolic language to agree on a draft communiqué that, if finalized, would anchor this partnership in practical action. While not yet officially published by the AU or CARICOM, the document points to an agenda that blends history with urgent twenty-first century priorities.

The draft outlines commitments to improve air and sea transport links, including the pursuit of a multilateral air services agreement to break down the barriers that still keep the Caribbean and Africa physically apart. It also calls for visa facilitation and simplified entry regimes, making it easier for citizens of both regions to travel, study, and work across the Atlantic.

Equally significant are pledges to advance double taxation treaties that could remove one of the most stubborn obstacles to investment. With Afreximbank’s Caribbean headquarters already established in Barbados and the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF) gaining momentum, leaders now want to lock in the financial and legal frameworks that will drive new business.

Reparatory justice also featured prominently, with the draft communiqué sharpening a joint call for coordinated advocacy. CARICOM’s long-standing Reparations Commission is expected to work more closely with African institutions to demand global recognition and redress for the shared traumas of slavery and colonial exploitation.

CARICOM’s incoming chair, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew of St. Kitts and Nevis, captured the spirit of the gathering when he urged that the Atlantic Slave Trade be reimagined as an “Atlantic Bridge — a bridge of hope, a bridge of advancement, a bridge that will ensure our people take their rightful place in this world.”

For Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett, the meeting was a “homecoming,” but also a reminder that concrete steps like the Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC) and improved transportation links are needed to transform rhetoric into results.

For citizens back home, wrestling with inflation and economic uncertainty, the Addis outcomes — transport, visas, investment, health, and reparations — are precisely the kinds of measures that can validate leaders’ journeys and rekindle faith in South-South cooperation. What was once only rhetoric now hints at the beams of an Atlantic Bridge, connecting the Caribbean and Africa in ways that could finally turn history’s tragedy into tomorrow’s advantage.