Rural School Bus Programme Exceeds Ridership Target
By: , October 12, 2025
Photo: JIS File
Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Minister, the Hon Daryl Vaz
Photo: Rudranath Fraser
Students from Mona High School in St. Andrew disembark a bus as the National Rural School Bus Programme officially rolled out on Monday (September 8).The Full Story
A total of 16,600 students have been transported daily under the National Rural School Bus programme, as of October 7, 2025.
Some of the schools currently being serviced include Constant Spring Primary and Infant; Albion Mountain Primary; Black River Primary and Infant; Belair High; Woodlawn School of Special Education; Tacius Golding High; and Glengoffe High.
Minister of Transport, Telecommunications and Energy, Hon Daryl Vaz said the Programme represents a major milestone in the Government’s efforts to improve student transportation in rural Jamaica.
“We had projected approximately 15,000 [students]. We have surpassed that and bear in mind that is with 60 buses not 100 buses, so obviously that number will increase when we move to phase 1A,” he noted.
“Phase one covers over 250 schools (across) 12 dispatch points, which we plan to expand coverage and fleet size in phase 1A before the end of the year. The commitment was for 100 buses for the September term – 60 that will be rolled out in September 2025 and the other (44) will be rolled out between September and the end of school term 2025,” he added.
The Minister was speaking during Friday’s (October 10) press briefing on the implementation and early performance of the Rural School Bus Programme since its official roll-out on September 8.
In addition, Minister Vaz said school bus stop signs have been erected in St. Andrew, St. Catherine, St. Elizabeth, and Manchester, with additional installations planned as the routes expand.
The briefing outlined progress made during the first month of operation, key achievements, training and rollout activities, and the next steps toward a cashless, electronic fare collection system.
The programme was implemented by the Ministry through the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information.
The initiative forms part of the Government’s broader commitment to enhancing public transportation equity and student safety.