Dear Editor,

As former state minister of transport and works, I am adamant that our children should be shielded from politics as they are not yet entitled to vote. Many have witnessed the detrimental impact of politics on family members and our nation.

I commend Minister of Transport Daryl Vaz and the Government of Jamaica for launching an initiative to provide organised and secure transportation for our children, and my thoughts on the matter are as follows:

• Firstly, if any child were to suffer an injury or be involved in a crash or incident while being transported, I believe the State would be held responsible, unlike some operators who breach the Road Traffic Act, including by being uninsured.

• Secondly, schools have faced challenges due to students’ inability to arrive on time due to transportation issues.

• Thirdly, students have gone missing or have been killed while travelling in vehicles driven by individuals whose backgrounds are unknown to us.

I firmly believe that, despite any shortcomings, this initiative is a great starting point, and any future Government must build upon and enhance it to create a better environment for Jamaica’s future.

Othneil Lawrence

Former Jamaica Labour Party Member of Parliament