Jamaica’s Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding has pledged that if he becomes Prime Minister, his government will pay private taxi drivers and bus operators to transport schoolchildren in rural communities.
Golding made the announcement at a PNP meeting in Portland West, where party candidate Doreen Forbes-Campbell is seeking to unseat Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) heavyweight Daryl Vaz. He outlined a plan targeting operators of “Probox” and “AR Wagon” vehicles, promising subsidies for those willing to transport rural students.
“I see your MP coming. He wants to say these old buses will solve the school transportation issue. Our solution is to empower taxi and bus drivers with a subsidy. We will pay them to carry di pickney de, starting with twenty thousand households, and as the economy improves, we will expand the programme,” Golding said.
He emphasized that the funds would flow directly to private transport operators, ensuring that taxi and bus drivers benefit financially while providing much-needed services for schoolchildren struggling with rural transportation challenges.
Golding’s comments come following the government’s announcement in June of the Rural School Bus Programme. Transport Minister Hon. Daryl Vaz said the initiative will benefit approximately 326,000 students across rural Jamaica, with parents saving up to $180,000 annually in transportation fares.
The programme involves deploying 110 school buses across 100 routes, servicing around 258 of the island’s 850 rural schools. Buses began arriving in June and are expected to be fully operational by January 2026.
Vaz outlined that the buses will charge a flat fare of $50 per trip per student, reducing daily transport costs to about $100, compared to the current fares ranging between $300 and $600.
While the government focuses on establishing this school bus system, Golding criticized the reliance on “older” buses, suggesting his party’s approach of subsidizing private operators would be more effective and immediate.
In addition to transportation, Golding also announced housing development plans in Portland West. He identified an area known as “Diamond,” where the PNP intends to provide housing solutions for 500 Jamaicans by reclaiming swampland to make the land suitable for construction.
“This idea came to me after being shown the area by a PNP candidate in the constituency,” Golding said. “Where there is swampland, we should make that land usable so we can build the five hundred homes that we want to construct for the people of Portland.”
