Transport Minister Daryl Vaz has announced that the government’s Rural School Bus System remains firmly on track for rollout in September 2025, with approximately 110 buses expected to arrive on the island by the end of July.

Vaz outlined that the Rural School Bus System is aimed at addressing the significant inconvenience and danger faced by Jamaican children when they travel to rural schools.

He revealed that it will also help to address the high transportation costs faced by parents who many times have to decide which child they will send to school.

“Ultimately, the rural school system will also assist in reducing the number of times students are absent from school and seek to improve students’ academic performance,” Vaz said.

The transport minister announced, while speaking at a press conference on Tuesday (July 8), that approximately 110 safe, secure and fit-for-purpose buses have been purchased as part of the new rural school bus plan. “100 will go into the system, and 10 will be held back for contingency in order to make sure that we have buses to replace existing buses for whatever reason.

“I wish to reiterate that the plans for the rollout of the school bus system remain firmly on track for September morning 2025. 26 buses are in Jamaica. 14 additional buses arrived on Saturday of last week. Four more are en route to Jamaica, and 18 more will be delivered on July 14th and 28 each will be delivered on the 22nd of July and the 29th of July. So, in essence, all 110 school buses will be here by the end of July,” Vaz continued.

The minister further expressed that among the batch of buses will be 47 small units, 32-seater, with engines designed to navigate remote areas, 38 mid-sized buses, which have 54 seats, and 25 buses designed to seat 72 people each.

This configuration of three different types of buses takes into consideration the various terrains that the buses will be traversing.

“The current activity represents phase one of the system. We intend, within two years, to import an additional 2 to 300 buses to serve the additional 625 schools with a student population of over 300,000.

“It is the intention of the government to actively pursue the possibility of the introduction of not only refurbished buses, but also new buses, as we are doing for the JUTC. This government and this minister will deliver on their commitment to put in place a safe, affordable, and convenient system which provides quality service to our children and reduces costs to parents,” Vaz said.