The announcement by Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) that it will provide dedicated bus services to the campuses of The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona, and University of Technology (UTech), Jamaica is being hailed by student leaders from both institutions as a long-overdue measure to improve the safety, affordability, and reliability of transportation for tertiary students.

Both The UWI Mona Guild and the UTech Students’ Union, which recently met with the Ministry of Transport and JUTC, had lobbied for a more structured transport solution, citing concerns over inconsistent services and safety risks associated with private passenger operators.

On Thursday the JUTC said the service will be availabe at the start of the next academic year.

“We are elated, we are elated that the JUTC and the minister, whom we first made contact with, are so kind to facilitate us… Access to tertiary education now begs another conversation and that conversation has to include transportation,” said UWI Mona Guild President Roshaun Wynter.

He noted that students have consistently raised concerns about the safety and reliability of ride-hailing platforms and licensed taxis, adding that there have also been frequent complaints of overcharging by public passenger vehicle (PPV) operators.

“There are safety concerns that are sometimes raised, and even with the PPVs, we have constant complaints of students being overcharged at certain points with sometimes cases of sexual harassment, and so on. Even last week I had a student who reported a matter to me that she encountered with a PPV operator. So rides that require connections is a big, big issue and it was very, very important,” Wynter told the Jamaica Observer on Friday.

He also highlighted the particular risk posed to students travelling late at night, noting that this was a recurring concern raised by the student body during the meeting.

“It was the main thing for us and that’s why we stressed the late-night route, because we found that for our classes which end at 9:00 [pm] it was difficult with connecting students and bringing them back home. So we’re pleased that JUTC and the minister of transport were receptive to that, and they are willing to make this step for us,” he added.

Wynter also welcomed JUTC’s decision to explore weekend transport services for students residing on campus, noting that many had raised concerns about travelling home, particularly those who are originally from rural parishes.

“When I confirmed the meeting, I went online, asked my students, and that was one of the popular responses, to see if we could connect them with these major rural towns in a manner of convenience, affordability and safety. So that is why we raised that and we are actually looking, especially on the weekends, to have a special partnership with JUTC to have our UWI Pelicans travel back to these major rural towns,” he said.

“Even though UTech and UWI are in Kingston, we can’t deny the fact that most of the population are students who are from these rural areas — Clarendon, St James, Westmoreland, Manchester — so we’ve actually had a number of students who have been asking if something could be done for them.”

During Thursday’s announcement, JUTC Managing Director Owen Ellington revealed that the company is exploring options to assist university students who commute long distances on weekends. He noted that the Rural Express Service — which provides premium travel between Half-Way-Tree in St Andrew and key rural towns such as Mandeville, Port Antonio, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, and Negril — may soon feature a dedicated link specifically for students returning home.

While welcoming the JUTC’s intervention, Wynter clarified that the UWI Guild’s bus service would not be discontinued, but instead used to cover routes not served by the State-run bus company.

“The Guild bus services have had major issues re: consistency, both with student turnout and contractors over the years, as well as the costs accruing to our poorer students. The original service will continue for the routes that won’t be served by JUTC, making it easier to manage and reduce the losses. The JUTC service then, is supporting ours as it is supplementing certain routes, while providing a better price and more convenience,” said Wynter.

At UTech, Students’ Union President Percival Johnson echoed similar concerns regarding the limitations of existing transport options on campus, particularly for early morning and late evening commuters.

“Our bus service will still continue to fill gaps where possible, it’s just that the JUTC service would be able to offset, especially for the early morning and late night classes where students have to travel and they don’t have that security, because otherwise, the students would have to be taking taxis or find alternative modes of transportation,” Johnson said.

Describing the announcement as a move in the right direction, Johnson said the new service offers tangible benefits for long distance travel.

“Well, for one, it will ease transport for the students, especially those travelling long distances and it will also be much safer. So to sum it up, it would provide greater access to transportation for the students and provide a safer transportation method for the students as well,” he said.