The Government is concluding a plan to improve transport service for rural commuters, especially schoolchildren, says Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz. Addressing the Standing Finance Committee in the House of Representatives on March 5, the Minister said a mechanism is being worked on to “bring some relief” to the cost of commuting, “with specific reference...

The addition of 3,000 electronic ticketing (e-ticketing) handsets and printers to Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) resources is expected to significantly boost the members’ efforts to mitigate accidents on the nation’s roads. The presentation of the devices in December follows the procurement of 750 handsets and accompanying printers, which were handed over in January 2023. The e-ticketing system enables the police...

Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz, says the Ian Fleming International Airport is providing a gateway to more than 8,000 hotel rooms and villas in the parishes of St. Ann, St. Mary and Portland. Speaking at a recent ceremony to welcome the inaugural American Airlines flight from Miami to the St. Mary-based airport, Minister Vaz highlighted...

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Gary McKenzie, says the frequent occurrence of road crashes has the potential to impact national development. He noted that these incidents not only cause serious injuries and loss of lives but place an economic burden on families and the economy. “The occurrence of collisions has stymied human development, as over 60 per cent of drivers...

The American Eagle aircraft taxies on the runway after landing at the Ian Fleming International Airport in Boscobel, St. Mary, on Saturday (February 24). The inaugural American Airlines flight from Miami had 71 passengers on board.

The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) has received funding of US$400,000 to procure speed monitoring devices and breath testing equipment for the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), to assist in reducing road fatalities. Programme Coordinator of the NRSC, Victor Anderson, told JIS News that some of the money will also be used for administration of the project, improvement in data capture...

The Government of Jamaica will be investing more than $2.63 billion to purchase buses to boost the Jamaica Urban Transport Company’s (JCTU) fleet. As contained in the 2024/25 Estimates of Expenditure, tabled recently in the House of Representatives, a total of 100 compressed natural gas (CNG)-fuelled buses will be acquired. The procurement process commenced in December 2023, with the placement...

A total of 120 government facilities, including 50 public buildings, will be retrofitted with energy efficient lighting during the new financial year. The work will be done under the Energy Management and Efficiency Programme (EMEP), which has been allocated $713.3 million in the 2024/25 Estimates of Expenditure, now before the House of Representatives. Being implemented by the Ministry of Science,...

Another request for a proposal for a further 168 megawatts of renewable energy will be launched in the new financial year, which begins on April 1. This is in addition to the supply of up to 100 megawatts of electricity generation, for which the Generation Procurement Entity invited tenders last September. The disclosure was made by Governor-General, His Excellency the...