KINGSTON, Jamaica — Opposition Member of Parliament for Manchester North West, Mikael Phillips, has issued a direct challenge to the Government for a national debate on the future of Jamaica’s public transportation system, particularly as it relates to the rollout of a national bus programme.

His challenge comes amid mounting criticism from the People’s National Party (PNP) with several high-ranking officials taking jabs at the Government’s rural bus plan, some of them referring to the buses as “old”.

Education Minister Dana Morris Dixon has since dismissed such comments as “false” and “baseless”.

READ: Morris Dixon chides Opposition for ‘false allegations’ against Rural School Bus System

But speaking at the PNP’s Manchester parish meeting on Sunday night, Phillips rejected claims that the PNP opposes a school bus system and instead outlined the party’s plan for a “better” system.

“At no time did the People’s National Party say we are against transporting our children to school safely. Never. Where we differ is in how we do it, and our plan is better,” Phillips said.

The spokesman on transport criticised the Government’s plan to purchase buses that he deems ill-suited for Jamaican roads, highlighting the Jamaica Urban Transit Company’s (JUTC) current financial strain and the potential burden of added maintenance costs.

“They say they can move 4,000 students a day. We say we can move 20,000….while they plan to flood the system with government-owned vehicles, we will empower responsible, existing transport operators by supporting them to upgrade their fleet and serve students across the country,” he said.

Phillips argued that the PNP’s model not only provides a greater reach for student transport but also protects the livelihoods of small and medium transport providers who might be affected by the Government’s model.

“Let us take the man who has a Voxy and help him upgrade to a 30-seater. Let us build on what’s already there, instead of wasting taxpayer money on buses that will sit unused or break down quickly,” he explained. “We’re not just building a school bus system, we’re building an economy that includes and uplifts everyone.”

The PNP’s plan includes providing a subsidy for families who are not on the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH) but are still in need of transportation support.

Reaffirming the PNP’s commitment to creating a more equitable and effective public transport system, Phillips said, “Under the JLP’s (Jamaica Labour Party) model, many transport operators will be pushed out. Some will lose their vehicles. Some will lose their homes. That is unconscionable. We must do better.”