Vaz: Gov’t committed to roll out affordable rural school-bus system in September
Published:Monday | March 24, 2025 | 12:08 AMGareth Davis Sr/Gleaner Writer
Rural students struggling with high transportation costs and an unreliable public transit system are set to benefit from a new school bus programme launching in September, according to Transport Minister Daryl Vaz.
Speaking with The Gleaner yesterday, Vaz revealed that 100 buses have been procured by the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) to improve transportation for students in rural parishes. The initiative aims to ensure students get to school on time and at a significantly lower cost.
The buses will be distributed at an average of seven per rural parish, which includes expanding services in Clarendon; Morant Bay, St Thomas; and Linstead, St Catherine.
Vaz emphasised that the primary goal is to provide students with safe and affordable transportation. Currently, rural students are paying between $300 and $600 daily for transportation.
“These buses are manufactured in the United States. I realised that I (the transport ministry) could buy the hundred buses directly from the manufacturer, refurbish them, bring them to Jamaica, and deploy them all at once,” Vaz said.
“The buses will be put on major corridors, and we will collaborate with schools – something I’ve already done in Portland through the Ministry of Education – to determine the routes they will serve.”
Vaz explained that the buses will be operated by schools, which will receive government subventions to maintain them. Schools will be responsible for hiring and training drivers, with assistance from JUTC and HEART/NSTA Trust. JUTC will also help maintain and service the buses.
“The buses will run in the mornings and evenings, solely to transport children to and from school,” Vaz said.
The first set of buses is expected to arrive in time for the 2025/2026 academic year.
LOWER FARES FOR STUDENTS
For many parents, the cost of getting their children to school has become unbearable.
Brenda Hill, a single mother from Boundbrook, Portland whose son attends Buff Bay High School, said the expenses have been overwhelming.
“It’s really tough to find $2,000 every week to send my son to school,” Hill said. “But I have to try because I want him to get a good education. Any help with bus fare would be a blessing.”
Carmen Kenlocke, another parent, from Windsor Castle in Portland, shared that her 15-year-old daughter spends $600 daily traveling from her community to Annotto Bay and then to Highgate, both in St Mary.
Under the new transportation system, non-PATH students will pay between $20 and $50 per ride, depending on the distance.
Vaz acknowledged that while this initiative won’t solve every transportation issue, it is a step into the right direction.
“This doesn’t fully eliminate the problem because students still need to get from their districts to the main bus routes,” the transport minister said.
“Public transport operators in these districts will still have the opportunity to transport them for shorter distances. We are not competing with them, but rather ensuring that students have a safe and affordable way to travel.”
He added that the government is committed to protecting students from the daily struggles they face commuting to school.
“The indignities students endure just to get a ride are unacceptable. As a government, we have a responsibility to provide a safe, reliable, and dignified transportation system for them,” Vaz concluded.