With the new academic year just weeks away, Transport Minister Daryl Vaz has promised that all 60 buses earmarked for the launch of Jamaica’s Rural School Bus Programme will be fully retrofitted and road-ready for September.

Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, Vaz revealed that 23 of the 52 buses currently in the island have already undergone the critical retrofitting process, which includes relocating the passenger door from the right side to the left to meet national road safety standards.

“No bus will go on the road into the official school bus system without the retrofitting of the door from the right to the left… That is a requirement by the ITA (Island Traffic Authority), and that’s a requirement by my ministry, and that’s a requirement by me as minister… All buses will be retrofitted before they are commissioned into service in the new rural school bus system,” said Vaz.

He noted that of the 60 buses scheduled to begin operating in September, 53 routes have already been mapped out through stakeholder consultations.

He said the remaining 40 buses, expected to roll out between October and December, will expand the system to 122 total routes.

Vaz further emphasised that no corners would be cut for the sake of expediency, noting that student safety is the Government’s top priority.

“I’m not exposing [students] for expediency. Not one child will have the possibility of getting injured because of where they exit and egress out of the bus,” Vaz declared.

He said the retrofitting of the units will be done on a phased schedule, ensuring each vehicle meets full specifications before being placed into service.

Vaz also gave an update on the other 58 buses set to arrive on the island.

“We have another two buses that are on the port that were shipped on July 25th. On August 1st, we have another eight buses to depart Miami and on August 8th, 25 buses to depart Miami, and August 15th, 23 buses,” he announced.

Vaz also disclosed plans for a national prayer commissioning ceremony, led by the Jamaica Council of Churches, before the buses go into full operation.

“That [prayers] will be for the drivers, for the persons who are going to operate them, maintain them, and everything else that you can think of and I’m sure that that will be welcomed, especially after all the negativity and the bad vibes that have accompanied these buses… and I can say that with all of what has taken place, these buses that are going to be transporting our children all across Jamaica have to go and start on the right footing and that is with plenty of prayers and blessings from above,” said Vaz.

He reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to expanding the programme to reach all 850 schools in rural Jamaica, with a student population of more than 650,000.