JTA renews call for national school bus system

By Halshane Burke    

 

The Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) is renewing its call for a national school bus system.

 

The call comes against the background of Tuesday's fatal crash that claimed the lives of two students from Titchfiled High School in Portland.

 

The students were travelling in a taxi that crashed into a parked truck.

 

JTA President Leighton Johnson says too often students have to subject themselves to the mercy of lawless drivers. 

 

"We have witnessed many of these public passenger vehicles that are transporting our children, displaying reckless and careless behaviour as they utilise the roadways. A pilot project was implemented in Manchester and we saw where this project simply came to an end with no clear direction as to how this programme would be fully implemented across the nation," he complained, calling for the Ministry of National Security and the Ministry of Education to "collaborate in ensuring that our students are provided with a school bus system". 

 

Mr. Johnson said investment in the system is a matter of urgency.

 

"We find monies for everything else. We must now call on investors to ensure that they support these programmes and projects to assist in securing the safety and security of our students as they traverse our roadways," he urged.