100 New School Buses Being Procured

The Ministry of Energy, Transport and Telecommunications will be going to procurement shortly for the acquisition of 100 new buses for the second phase of the National Rural School Bus Programme (NRSBP).

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Daryl Vaz, said that the additional units will expand the programme’s reach into rural communities.

The NRSBP was launched in September 2025 with the rollout of the first 60 units. An additional 50 were introduced, bringing the fleet to 110.

Minister Vaz was addressing the opening of the new School Bus Operations Centre (SBOC) at its 26 Lyndhurst Road location in Kingston on Wednesday (April 15).

He said that the SBOS “is the operational hub of the entire programme of 110 school buses serving every parish in Jamaica”.

“From here, we will have real-time visibility of the bus movements through global positioning system (GPS) tracking. Routes will be managed more effectively and efficiently, and we will use data to inform decisions and continuously improve service delivery,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, students are being encouraged to sign up for the transportation card to benefit from subsidised fares under the National Rural School Bus Programme.

With the card, students pay a flat rate of $50 per trip for travel.

Minister Vaz urged parents and guardians to ensure that their children are registered before the summer term break in July.

“By September 2026, we expect to see even more students safely boarding the school buses each morning. This programme is not only economical, but it also provides peace of mind knowing that your children… are being transported to and from school safely and reliably,” he said.

Vice President of Elhydro, which is the entity managing the rural school bus programme, Major Paul Brown, said that the Government is advancing the use of the student card and moving towards a fully cashless system that improves transparency and reduces leakages.

“The installation of the automated fare collection system provides a safe, efficient, convenient and hassle-free payment process for all stakeholders utilising the school bus,” he said.

Major Brown informed that all cards, once activated, can be topped up using the online web portal app or by visiting any Bill Express location.

“These cards are unique to the students and once they top up, they pay a $50 fare that is deducted. Real time notification is sent to the parents on the movement of the child,” he noted.

Major Brown said that more than 11,000 students are registered to receive the student transportation card, which is free.