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Transport Minister Daryl Vaz
Transport Minister Daryl Vaz is dismissing claims by the parliamentary opposition that the US made buses recently imported for the rural school bus system are unsafe.
Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, Mr. Vaz described the opposition's position as baseless and without merit. He accused the opposition of seeking to politicise the implementation of the rural school bus system, which he says will ultimately benefit all Jamaicans.
Mr. Vaz insisted that the more than 100 buses are roadworthy and meet international safety standards.
"Let me remind you that the buses are manufactured in accordance with the safety specifications of the US Department of State and they undergo a rigorous maintenance and inspection regime before and after arriving in Jamaica. The safety of our students is paramount. Consequently, upon arrival, each bus undergoes a comprehensive inspection and fitness testing consistent with international best practices.
"They will be serviced regularly to ensure continued reliability. We will be taking these buses on all of the routes that Mr. Troupe spoke about between now and the end of July. They will be going through every parish, every township and every district and community that they are assigned to, to make sure that we can do what we need to do to tweak to make sure September morning is seamless," he stressed.
The minister said the average age of the buses is eight years.
He also rubbish claims by the opposition that no proper testing was done before the buses were purchased.
According to the Transport Minister, officials from the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) visited the United States to inspect the buses to ensure they were suitable for rural roads and hilly terrain and meet safety standards.
Mr. Vaz revealed that the 26 buses which arrived last week are being retrofitted to ensure student safety.
"The buses will include modern features such as GPS tracking accessible by parents, speed limiters to make sure that the bus cannot go past a certain speed, on board surveillance cameras, geofencing to make sure that the buses do not come off of the designated routes and a cashless payment system which I spoke about - all designed to enhance security and convenience for both students and parents in rural Jamaica."
In addition, he touted that the rural school bus will be affordable, noting that the cost per trip is J$50 per child per trip or J$100 per child per day, compared to "between $300 and $600 per day per child" on regular public transportation.
Calling the procurement "excellent value for money", Mr. Vaz disclosed that the government will be spending $1.4 billion to purchase and maintain the buses.
He said the 110 buses will arrive in the island by the end of the month, in time for the September start of the new school year.