Dedicated school bus system by September

The Government plans to introduce a dedicated school bus system for rural Jamaica starting in September this year.

The announcement was made on Thursday by Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness in his contribution to the 2025-2026 Budget Debate in Parliament.

The new school bus system will be rolled out in phases.

Holness said phase one is already underway, with the state-owned Jamaica Urban Transit Company expanding services to Morant Bay, St Thomas, Clarendon and Linstead in St Catherine.

He said the Government plans to add 12 additional 45-seater buses to the already existing fleet of ten buses, giving the Montego Bay area 22 total buses.

The prime minister said under phase two, 100 fully refurbished will be deployed across the parishes. Sixty of those buses will be ready for the start of the new school year in September.

The remaining 40 should be ready to be deployed by January next year.

Holness said the dedicated rural bus system is to ensure equitable access, improve attendance and enhance safety while easing the financial burden for families.

"This marks a transformative step in making school transportation safer, more reliable and more affordable for Jamaican students," he said.

- Livern Barrett

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