KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Government’s Rural School Bus System is advancing through islandwide proving runs, with 63 of 122 planned routes slated to be validated by day’s end—clearing the midpoint toward a full rollout at the start of the September 2025 school term.
What’s been tested so far
- Recent live trials covered Manchester, rural St Andrew, St James, and Hanover—30 routes in total.
- Operations teams reported smooth runs with minor tweaks identified for scheduling and stop placement.
Operational findings
- Tyres: Wear patterns flagged during testing prompted an immediate procurement of tyres better suited to local road conditions. Full fleet replacement is scheduled before September’s launch; current tyres remain in service while testing and retrofitting continue.
Today’s focus
- Day Two deployments extend trials to Portland, St Mary, Westmoreland, and Clarendon.
- Once completed, over half the network will have been evaluated, with the balance to follow in the coming weeks.
Right-sizing the fleet
- The ministry has acquired three bus sizes. Post-trial data will determine which vehicle class is assigned to each corridor, optimizing capacity, fuel efficiency, and route geometry.
Governance & communication
- Transport Minister Daryl Vaz reaffirmed that lessons from this week’s exercises will be folded into final operating plans and reiterated a commitment to clear, official updates as the programme moves from testing to launch.
Bottom line
- With more than half the routes verified and targeted fixes underway, the system remains on track for on-time service commencement in September 2025.
