Rural School Bus Programme to cost gov’t $871 million

The Rural School Bus Programme is expected to cost the Government more than $871 million in expenses for the 2026/2027 financial year.

The disclosure was made by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Kadesha Campbell Rochester, during this morning’s sitting of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC) of Parliament.

She noted that the salaries and wages of drivers will cost approximately $630 million, while dispatchers will be paid more than $50 million. Maintenance is projected to cost more than $7 million, incentives for drivers are estimated at more than $4 million, and $114 million has been set aside for other related costs.

She stated that projected revenues are not available at this time, pointing to the low take-up of bus cards by students.

The rural school bus system was launched in September last year to provide safe and affordable transportation for students in rural Jamaica.

However, the $1.4-billion acquisition of 110 used school buses has faced public scrutiny.

The Auditor General’s Department is conducting a probe into the programme “to determine whether the procurement and contract management practices complied with the applicable laws, regulations, policies, guidelines, and guidance notes governing public procurement in Jamaica, and to ascertain whether value for money was achieved, amid public concerns over the procurement process”.

The findings are expected to be published in the July to September quarter later this year.

- Sashana Small

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.