JLP welcomes high praise from education stakeholders of Rural School Bus System

The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) has welcomed media reports highlighting the success of its National Rural School Bus Programme, now in its first year of full operation. The party asserts that the initiative has garnered significant praise from school administrators, educators, and students across Jamaica, who report that it has largely fulfilled its promise of providing safer, more affordable, and dependable transportation.

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The Rural School Bus system is part of the Jamaica Labour Party Government’s commitment to delivering safer, dependable, and more affordable transportation for our students.

In a statement released on Monday, the JLP pointed to numerous reports quoting stakeholders who described the program's impact as "transformational" and "tremendous." Senator Abka Fitz-Henley, the party's Communication Chairman, emphasized that the Rural School Bus system aligns with the JLP government's commitment to delivering improved student transport. "The feedback... from school administrators, students, and parents that the programme is working well and has been tremendously beneficial to them, is encouraging," Fitz-Henley stated.

Fitz-Henley also commended Minister Daryl Vaz, who championed the initiative, and Prime Minister Andrew Holness's Cabinet for approving the program. He presented the positive reviews as evidence of the government's willingness to act on its policy of creating safer and more affordable transportation. The senator stressed that such successes should transcend partisan politics, particularly when addressing issues concerning the nation's children.

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The feedback in the publication in the print media today from school administrators, students, and parents that the programme is working well and has been tremendously beneficial to them, is encouraging.

The JLP took the opportunity to criticize the opposition People's National Party (PNP), including its leader Mark Golding and spokesmen Peter Bunting and Mikhail Phillips. Fitz-Henley recalled that the PNP had previously "lambasted" the Rural School Bus program, calling the buses "old" and baselessly claiming they were dangerous. He argued that this "unfortunate rhetoric" from the opposition contrasted with the thorough research conducted by Minister Vaz and his team, which has resulted in the program benefiting students and parents.

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One of the low points of last year was when the Opposition PNP, including its president, Mark Golding, and spokesmen, Peter Bunting, and Mikhail Phillips, took to the political platform to lambaste the Rural School Bus programme.

According to Fitz-Henley, the experiences shared by education stakeholders confirm the buses are both cost-effective and safe. He expressed hope that such baseless political rhetoric will be avoided in future discussions concerning the nation's children and their support systems. The Rural School Bus program currently serves over 13,000 students.

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Bunting and Golding denigrated the buses as old and sought to scare-monger by baselessly claiming that the buses are dangerous and would kill our children.