The Public Passenger Transport Stakeholder Committee will, in the new financial year, begin to address the provision of transportation for rural area students.

A priority of the committee will be the introduction of a Rural Student Transportation System. This will provide a more affordable alternative for the students in rural Jamaica who do not currently benefit from the transportation subsidies that are available in the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region through the state-owned Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC).

The announcement was made Thursday by Governor-General Sir Patrick Allen as he delivered the 2024 Throne Speech at Gordon House to mark the start of the Government’s legislative agenda.

Speaking to other matters that fall under the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Sir Patrick said energy security, robust and expansive telecommunications infrastructure and reliable transport are key elements for a peaceful, productive and prosperous society.

He said the government continues to develop policies which will contribute to reducing Jamaica’s energy intensity and carbon footprint, while advancing the adoption of new technologies.

“The policy and guidelines for energy efficiency and conservation in public facilities specifically for schools and hospitals, and the electric vehicle policy, were tabled in Parliament in June 2023. Likewise, efforts to diversify energy sources for public passenger vehicles for the Jamaica Urban Transit Company received a major boost with the acquisition of five battery electric buses, as well as 20 compressed natural gas fuelled buses,” the governor-general said.