Transport Minister Daryl Vaz has described the ongoing addition of 12 buses to the fleet at Montego Bay Metro as the dawning of a new day for the sector in western Jamaica.
Speaking at the bus company depot in Montego Bay on Thursday, Vaz told reporters that in addition to the existing fleet of six buses, some eight new units have been allocated, with four more to be delivered on Sunday.
This will push the number of routes being served across the parishes of Westmoreland, Hanover, St James and Trelawny from five to 11, the transport minister said.
He expressed delight at the strengthening of the number of state-owned buses in wWestern Jamaica, noting that it augurs well for commuters in the region, especially students when the 2024/2025 school year starts.
“You can understand the impact on western Jamaica in the four parishes.
“It will also be servicing, as I said, the parishes of Trelawny, St James, Hanover and Westmoreland and basically, people will see a much improved, efficient service. All of the buses are air-conditioned, so in this summer heat, you will get some relief.
“The buses will ply on a schedule, both for the schools and for the public commuters,” said Vaz.
He also apologised that the service that was provided by Montego Bay Metro was not acceptable because of the lack of enough buses.
“We are making a huge improvement in relation to these buses, and I will be making allocations out of the next order of buses so that some of the buses that come here from the next order, we’ll be able to apply to what I call the rural (hilly, inner) routes,” Vaz said.
