public transport in kingston, jamaica and its relation to low income households

this report is based on a study of public transport in kingston, jamaica, carried out with the cooperation of the jamaican government. it is one of a series of similar studies in developing countries carried out by trrl. the results of local investigations into the organisation and operation of the conventional bus undertaking and of the privately-operated minibuses are described and jamaican government survey data are used as a basis for analysing the characteristics of the users of the two different services. an analysis of the attitudes of passengers, as elicited from this survey and from in-depth research with low income households, helps in formulating the ways in which both bus and minibus services may be improved. the role which public transport plays in the lifestyle of low income households is discussed with particular reference to expenditure on transport compared to other budget items. the jamaican findings are compared with previous studies of the role of paratransit in two cities in south-east asia.(a)