Rural School Bus System to Save Parents $180,000 Per Year in Transportation Costs

Some 326,000 students will benefit from the Rural School Bus Programme, which will see parents saving up to $180,000 per year in transportation fares, says Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport Minister, Hon. Daryl Vaz.

He was delivering a statement in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (June 10).

Minister Vaz said the implementation of a rural transportation system is a priority programme for the Government.

“It is aimed at ensuring the provision of a safe, efficient and affordable mode of transportation for students in rural areas,” he noted.

The first phase of the school bus programme will commence with the rollout of 110 school buses.

The units will operate in 100 routes across rural Jamaica, serving approximately 258 out of a total of 850 schools.

“These buses will start shipping on the 20th of June and will be here in the first week of July,” Minister Vaz said.

He noted that the first 60 buses will be serviced in time for back-to-school in September 2025.

The remaining units will arrive in the island between September 2025 and January 2026.

The buses will be allocated as follows: rural St. Andrew – seven buses, serving 23 schools; St. Thomas – seven buses, serving 10 schools; St. Mary – seven buses, serving 11 schools; Portland – seven buses, serving eight schools, St. Ann – 10 buses, serving 29 schools; Trelawny – five buses, serving 22 schools; St. James – eight buses, serving 17 schools; Hanover – eight buses, serving 12 schools; Westmoreland – eight buses, serving 11 schools; Manchester – seven buses, serving 25 schools; St. Elizabeth – seven buses, serving 25 schools; and Clarendon – nine buses, serving 32 schools.

Minister Vaz said there will be a flat fare of $50 per trip, per student on all rural school bus routes.

This will result in transport cost averaging $100 a day as against current fares of between $300 and $600.