MONTEGO BAY, St James — Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has hailed the rural school bus programme as a transformational initiative that will not only ensure a safer and more
comfortable environment for students, but also promote discipline and positive values.

“It’s one thing to talk about the economics, but it’s another thing to talk about the defence of the mores of the society — the morality and values that are constantly under assault with our children in public passenger transport. That is invaluable; you can’t put a price on that,” the Jamaica Information Service reports Holness as saying at the launch of the Pedro Plains Irrigation Expansion Project in Short Hill, St Elizabeth, last Friday.

He noted that the concept of a dedicated school bus programme is not new, as modern democracies often implement separate transportation systems for students.

“They understand the challenges that children would face if they had to compete in public transportation, so they have a parallel, but separate transportation system that is more attuned to schools and the maintenance of discipline,” Holness pointed out.

The rural school bus programme is being implemented by the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information.

Under phase one, the Government is procuring 110 buses to serve 100 routes across 258 rural schools, benefiting approximately 328,000 students. The first 25 buses arrived in June, with the remainder expected before the new school year begins in September.

The bus fleet includes small (32-seat), mid-sized (54-seat), and large (72-seat) units, with 10 held in reserve for maintenance and emergencies.

The units are American-made and as such come with passenger doors on the right, but Transport Minister Daryl Vaz has said that the buses will be retrofitted with the doors moved to the left to ensure passenger safety during access and exit.

The Government has said that each bus is inspected by a Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) team and meets international safety standards. Riders will pay a flat fare of $50 per trip, which is projected to save parents up to $180,000 annually.

The Government also said that over the next two years it intends to expand the programme with up to 300 additional buses, eventually reaching all 850 rural schools.

Holness and Vaz have, on separate occasions, stated that the buses will operate along major transportation corridors within each parish to ensure efficient and reliable service for students.

Additionally, each bus will be assigned to a designated school, selected by the education ministry and 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 Government also said that 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 in a previous address.

In addition, an app will be available for parents who wish to check and monitor the safety and whereabouts of their children.