KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness has touted the new rural school bus system as transformational, introducing various technologies and a supervisory framework aimed at enhancing student behaviour and performance while improving their overall travel experience.

“The school rules for the physical plant of the school will apply to the bus. So a student on this bus is still under the jurisdiction of the school as it relates to conduct and discipline,” Holness stated in a video shared on social media on Tuesday.

He noted that, occasionally, there will be school-appointed supervisors on board to maintain order.

“It will also bring a level of decency and standardisation to our students and it will also improve our students’ performance at school, not having the distractions, not having the discomfort and the inconvenience, the late arrivals, the exposure to all kinds of deviant behaviour and fights. I think that this is going to be transformational,” the prime minister said.

The bus system will be jointly operated by the Ministries of Education and Transport, with the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) having signed a memorandum of understanding for vehicle maintenance. The system is set to become operational in a week with an initial fleet of 50 buses.

Holness explained that the new system will reduce the financial burden of high transportation costs faced by rural families compared to their urban counterparts, making school travel more affordable and reliable while improving student punctuality and reducing exposure to negative influences.

The buses will feature a cashless system and advanced tracking technology, allowing parents to monitor its real-time location, speed and distance from school via a user-friendly app.

“The buses will be tracked and that is how we will be able to give an update on the app so the parent will be able to know where the bus is, how fast it is moving, the distance away from school, these kinds of things so they will know where their child is. So all of this technology will be built into the bus,” he explained.

Additionally, each bus will be equipped with cameras to record incidents for future reference, the prime minister noted.

Emphasising the importance of the role of the Ministry of Education, Holness said, “The budget will come through the Ministry of Education, particularly the budget for the full subsidy of those students who have gone through the beneficiary identification system for PATH (Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education).”

“Jamaica, when this is fully rolled out, we will have a comprehensive school bus system,” Holness said.