Mobay Metro Company Gets Eight Additional Buses

The Montego Bay Metro Company Limited fleet, which serves commuters in Western Jamaica, has been further bolstered with the addition of eight new diesel buses.

The vehicles were officially handed over by Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz, during a visit to the bus depot at Bogue Industrial Estate on Thursday (August 22).

He informed that four additional buses are expected to be handed over to the company on Sunday, August 25, which will bring the fleet to 18.

Fifteen will be operational and three on standby to address peak-hour demands.

The Minister told journalists that this expansion will be particularly impactful for the upcoming 2024/25 academic year, commencing September 2, with the number of schools serviced by the buses increasing from five to nine, and the number of routes expanding from five to 11.

He noted that this development comes as part of a broader initiative to enhance public transportation in the region, particularly in the parishes of Trelawny, St. James, Hanover, and Westmoreland.

“This is going to be impacting back-to-school and the routes that are served. So you can understand the impact of Western Jamaica on the four parishes. So, basically, people will see a much improved, efficient service,” Minister Vaz stated.

He explained that the buses will operate on a set schedule for school children and commuters, thereby ensuring reliable transportation across the parishes.

“This is a new beginning for Montego Bay Metro and the areas that are served,” Mr. Vaz declared.

A notable aspect of the new fleet is the inclusion of two buses specifically designed for the disabled.

This is consistent with the Minister’s policy that 10 per cent of any new bus order must accommodate disabled passengers.

Mr. Vaz also revealed plans to allocate more buses in the future, especially for rural routes that have been underserved.

“I think that we are making a huge improvement in relation to these buses, and I will be making allocations out of the next order of buses so that some of the buses that come here from the next order will be able to ply what I call the rural routes,” he shared.

Responding to concerns about the perception that the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) receives more attention, Minister Vaz assured that the expansion of Montego Bay Metro is evidence of the Government’s commitment to an islandwide approach to improving public transportation.

“We are going to look to go outside of these routes to other routes as we get more and more buses over the next 12 to 24 months. [We will expand] to other parishes that also have issues of transportation. It’s a holistic approach… that we are working towards,” he stated.