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Transport Minister Daryl Vaz
Transport Minister Daryl Vaz says the first day of route testing for the rural school bus system on Monday revealed a few tyre issues, which his ministry has been taking steps to resolve to ensure a smooth rollout in September.
The comments by Minister Vaz follow the circulation of videos and images on social media showing issues with the buses, including one experiencing a tyre blowout.
But in a post on X, Mr. Vaz said the ministry has already placed orders for new tyres for all the buses prior to September morning.
Until then, he said the existing tyres will be used this week as the ministry completes retrofitting of the buses and the testing of the remaining routes.
Mr. Vaz said the new tyres will be suitable for Jamaica's road conditions.
He indicated that 30 routes have been tested across Manchester, Rural St. Andrew, St. James and Hanover.
Further testing will be conducted in Portland, St. Mary, Westmoreland and Clarendon.
The Transport Minister noted that 63 of the 122 routes will be tested by the end of Tuesday.
Mr. Vaz said the lessons learned from this week's activities will be implemented to ensure a smooth and seamless launch next month for the start of the new academic year.
The buses, the minister noted previously, will address the inconvenience and danger faced by students, the high transportation cost faced by parents, reduce absenteeism and ultimately improve academic performance.
In Phase 1 of the initiative, 100 buses will be deployed to cover 258 schools across Jamaica, with an additional 10 reserved for contingencies. Students will be charged a flat fare of $50.
Minister Vaz also reiterated that the government has purchased buses of three different sizes and will ensure the size best suited for each route is deployed following the route testing exercise.
The Transport Minister urged concerned parents not to be disheartened or distracted by what he called fake and disingenuous posts, which started on Monday.
He said the ministry will remain fully transparent and accountable to the Jamaican people.
The opposition People's National Party has been critical of the rural school bus system, expressing concern about the age of the buses while maintaining that they are unsuitable for Jamaica's hilly terrain and pose a safety risk to students and pedestrians.
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