THE Government is to roll out a fully dedicated rural school bus system come September.

Making his contribution to the 2025/26 Budget Debate on Thursday, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness said the dedicated school bus system for rural Jamaica is to ensure equitable access, improved attendance, and enhanced safety while easing financial burdens on families.

According to Holness, the bus system will be rolled out in phases with Phase One already underway with the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) expanding services in Clarendon; Morant Bay, St Thomas; and Linstead, St Catherine.

“We will add 12 additional 45-seater buses to the already existing fleet of 10 buses, giving the Montego Bay area a total of 22 buses,” said Holness.

“Phase Two will see 100 fully refurbished buses deployed across parishes, with 60 buses in September 2025 for the start of the new school year and another 40 buses by January 2026.

“This marks a transformative step in making school transportation safer, more reliable, and more affordable for Jamaica’s students,” added Holness.

The recently reactivated JUTC service into Clarendon operates from Spanish Town to Old Harbour to Denbigh into May Pen, with an additional service to Chapleton and Frankfield.

The service to St Thomas operates from Parade in downtown Kingston, through Harbour View into Yallahs and terminates in Morant Bay.

The recently activated service to Linstead operates through Bog Walk to facilitate the temporary discontinuation of the rail service.

The Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications, and Transport in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information had previously indicated a commitment to the implementation of the phased National Rural Student Transportation Service.

The two ministries said the aim is to improve the transportation access for students across 13 parishes, with each parish receiving at least seven buses, by sourcing, refurbishing, and deploying 100 42-seater school buses.

The buses will operate along major transportation corridors within each parish to ensure efficient and reliable service for students.

Each bus will be assigned to a designated school, selected by the education ministry.

The assigned schools will be responsible for hiring drivers and overseeing the maintenance of the buses, while the education ministry will provide financial support to cover the costs associated with these responsibilities, through a subsidy for students on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH).

Additional revenues will be collected from non-registered PATH commuters using the service to support the programme.

The buses will utilise a cashless payment system, allowing students to access transportation without the need for physical cash transactions.

Additionally, a telematic system will include tracking and tracing capabilities, real-time ridership data, fuel management, maintenance management, and reports to the participating schools, ensuring accountability and efficiency in service delivery.

“Most importantly, the speed on these buses will be governed, so they won’t be able to drive above a set speed to ensure safety of the children,” Holness said.

An app will be available for parents who wish to check and monitor the safety and whereabouts of their children.

Students will be required to pay the subsidised rate comparable with the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region from a low of $20 — Spanish Town to Clarendon, to a high of $100 — Kingston to Morant Bay.

Buses will be parked on school compounds when they are not operational.