WITH 93 new buses added to its fleet, the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) is set to launch new routes across rural Jamaica, including direct express services from Kingston. This was announced by Transport Minister Daryl Vaz.

During a handover ceremony held at the Portmore Bus Depot on Wednesday, the JUTC received 63 new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses and 30 diesel coach buses at a total cost of $2.355 billion, which Vaz said will be used to improve the commuter experience.

Vaz announced that of the 30 diesel coaches, 15 will be assigned to the JUTC’s new Rural Express Service, offering premium travel between Half-Way-Tree in St Andrew and major rural areas.

“Fifteen [buses] will be… offering premium travel and long-haul direct routes from Half-Way-Tree centre to Negril, Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Port Antonio, and Mandeville, with minimal stops, just one or two [stops] per trip at an introductory fare of $2,000,” he said.

He added that the remaining 15 diesel buses will be dedicated to the JUTC’s charter services, providing flexible transport options for schools, institutions, and event organisers.

Vaz also announced that with the new buses, JUTC will expand its services into m0re rural communities, promising that by September all 63 constituencies will have a state-operated public transportation system benefiting either students or other commuters islandwide.

“For September 2025, we’ll be doing Montego Bay to Savanna-la-Mar; Lucea to Negril; Montego Bay to Cornwall Courts-Green Pond; Montego Bay to Lucea; and other upcoming routes in the pipeline like Savanna-la-Mar to White House and Falmouth to Wakefield. And further route assessments continue because we are going to reach into every nook and cranny of Jamaica to provide reliable, economic, and safe transportation for our citizens,” said Vaz.

He also said that JUTC will also be increasing its presence in and around Spanish Town, with new routes planned to Linstead via the highway and to Kitson Town.

Additionally, Vaz announced that the Montego Bay Metro is expected to receive an additional 10 buses, sourced from the Kingston Metropolitan Transport Region (KMTR).“We’re not just dealing with the KMTR, we’re not just dealing with school buses, we’re dealing also with the challenges that the western parishes have. The growth trajectory is expected to continue, and they are expected to receive an additional 10 buses, which will be buses that are currently in the KMTR, that are going to be replaced with new buses, and they will get some of the buses that were bought last year or the year before,” he announced.

“So nothing other than two-year-old buses for Montego Bay Metro [and] what is good about that is that we are doing an additional 60,000 commuters per month with Montego Bay Metro,” he said.

He explained that in August 2024, the Montego Bay Metro operated with a fleet of six buses which improved to 22 buses by July 2025 representing a 266.67 per cent increase in just 11 months.

He also outlined how the previous fleet of new buses have benefited students in the west.

“We have also played a key role in student mobility by serving 10 important secondary schools including Irwin High, William Knibb High, Spot Valley, Muschette High, Ruseas High, Hopewell High, Cambridge High, Knockalva High, Anchovy High, and Green Island High,” said Vaz.

In the meantime, Vaz reaffirmed that seven additional buses — specially designed for persons with disabilities — are being manufactured and will arrive in August. He explained that this forms part of the Government’s policy to ensure that at least 10 per cent of imported buses cater to the special needs community.

“So it is not symbolic, but a bold signal that the Government is delivering safer, cleaner, and more efficient transport options for Jamaicans. These buses are modern, fuel-efficient, and compliant with international environmental standards. They represent our commitment to sustainability, innovation, and service excellence,” said Vaz.

Following the addition of 100 buses last year and 70 new buses in 2023, Vaz acknowledged that the addition of 93 buses to JUTC’s fleet now means that 71 per cent of the total number of JUTC buses were acquired over the last two years.

“…That simply means that we have more new buses in the JUTC fleet than used buses. More buses [are] rolling out daily, cutting wait times, and an increased ridership and overall improvement in the misery index to the commuter, and Jamaicans are regaining confidence in their public transportation system,” he said.