Letter of the Day | Rural school bus system deserves support, not mockery
Published:Saturday | July 19, 2025 | 12:06 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
For decades, students and families in rural Jamaica have faced persistent hardship simply trying to get to and from school. Complaints about the rural school transport system are not new. They are rooted in deep systemic issues, too few buses, high transportation costs, unsafe travel conditions, unreliable schedules, and glaring social inequities. These factors continue to undermine not only the educational prospects of our children, but the development potential of rural communities.
Yet, instead of advancing a serious national conversation on these long-standing challenges, members of the People’s National Party have chosen to ridicule recent efforts to address the rural school transport crisis.,
Their mockery of the Rural School Bus Pilot Programme is disappointing, and, frankly, it raises questions: Have these men ever had to rely on public transportation as students in Jamaica’s rural areas? Do they fully understand, or even care to understand, the daily struggles of children who wake at 4 a.m. to walk miles in the dark to a roadside in hopes of catching an overcrowded, unsafe, or non-existent vehicle?
Far too many of our rural students are left behind. With a shortage of taxis and minibuses, transport operators often prioritise adults who can pay higher fares. Children are sidelined, forced to walk long distances, or miss school altogether. For many families, the cost of daily transportation is prohibitive, driving some to send their children to live with relatives closer to school.
Many students travel in unsafe, overcrowded vehicles or are forced to “lap up” among strangers. They face daily harassment, especially from unscrupulous transport operators, loaders, and even peers. They arrive at school late and exhausted, their ability to learn and perform diminished, and they return home just as weary. What are the consequences? Poor academic outcomes, rising absenteeism, and a cycle of poverty that is particularly hard to escape in rural communities.
What the Rural School Bus System offers is not just buses, students would have guaranteed, daily transportation, improving attendance, academic performance, and safety. Children from remote areas would no longer be cut off from opportunity. The financial burden on families would be significantly reduced, with fares slashed from between $300 to $600 to $50. That difference matters to poor and working-class households.
Beyond affordability and access, the programme introduces structure and accountability. Trained drivers and bus monitors will safeguard children on their journeys. Students will carry smart cards that log their pick-up and drop-off times, giving parents peace of mind and schools better oversight. Scheduled routes reduce travel time, allowing more time for rest, study, and extra-curricular involvement. And fewer taxis and minibuses on the road means less traffic congestion and lower carbon emissions, leading to a win for public health and the environment.
To ridicule such a transformative programme is not just tone deaf. Instead of mocking progress, the Opposition should be offering constructive solutions. They should be supporting policies that promote inclusion, youth empowerment, and national development.
LAWRENCE ROWE