Phillips accuses JLP of politicising rural school bus system

 

Opposition Spokesman on Transport Mikael Phillips has dismissed claims by Transport Minister Daryl Vaz that the opposition has chosen not to sensitise their constituents about the rural school bus system scheduled to come on stream in September. 

 

Mr. Phillips accused Mr. Vaz and the ruling Jamaica Labour Party of politicising the school bus system.

 

"There are images of persons campaigning, utilising the buses. But even as a sitting Member of Parliament, it is not for me to be parading the bus around the constituency or any Member of Parliament. The buses belong to the JUTC (Jamaica Urban Transit Company) and Minister Vaz said they'll be assigned to schools and it is supposed to be the schools and the JUTC that [are] doing the promotion. 

 

"But what we have seen are images of individuals, including my own constituency.... I was never called; I was never notified that the bus was coming to North West Manchester, and it was the representative of the Jamaica Labour Party who met the bus in New Green and decided to parade the bus around the constituency with persons clad in party paraphernalia," the MP complained, further claiming that these types of activities have been going on in other parishes as part of political campaigning. 

 

"Now, the concern that we have is, how is it that we expect children to utilise these buses after we have politicised the whole school bus programme? It is sad. It is sad, and I am very disappointed in the response from Daryl Vaz," Mr. Phillips bemoaned.