KINGSTON, Jamaica -The Government’s Rural School Bus System continues its islandwide route testing this week, with 63 of the planned 122 routes expected to be completed by the end of today.

The initiative is in preparation for the full launch of the new transport service at the start of the school year in September 2025.

A total of 30 routes were tested recently across Manchester, rural St Andrew, St James, and Hanover.

According to a post made by Transport Minister Daryl Vaz on his X (formerly Twitter) account, the process went smoothly with only minor adjustments identified ahead of the September launch.

The testing, however, did reveal some issues with the current bus tyres.

In that regard, the minister says orders have already been placed for new tyres specifically suited to Jamaica’s road conditions. The full replacement of tyres is scheduled to take place before the September launch of the service .

In the interim, the current tyres will remain in use as testing and retrofitting of the fleet continue.

Day Two of testing sees buses deployed in Portland, St Mary, Westmoreland, and Clarendon. By the close of today, over half of the routes will have been evaluated, with the remaining to follow in the coming weeks.

Vaz reassured the public that lessons learned during this week’s testing will be used to ensure a seamless launch next month.

The transport ministry revealed that three different bus sizes have been purchased, and the most suitable vehicle will be assigned to each route based on the results of the testing exercise.

In response to recent online comments, Vaz reiterated his commitment to transparency and urged the public to rely on official channels for updates.