Jamaica Omnibus Service

[2] Kingston's first bus service operated by a company called Jamaica Utilities commenced on August 8, 1948.

The service operated by Jamaica Utilities was unsatisfactory, mainly due to the poor condition in which the fleet was maintained.

[6] At its inception in 1953[7] the JOS was owned and operated by the British Electric Traction Company Limited, until it was nationalized by the government of Jamaica in 1974.

[8][9] The JOS replaced the first operator of public bus transit services in Kingston, Jamaica Utilities.

The JOS was replaced by a hodgepodge system of private operator owned buses, and franchisees,[10] which provided very unreliable and unstructured services[11] and was very unpopular with the public.

JOS Leyland National (N) buses in the UK awaiting shipment to Kingston.
Rear view of JOS (N) buses, introduced in the 1970s.