Gov’t to spend over $871M running Rural School Bus Programme

The Government is expected to spend more than $871 million to operate the Rural School Bus Programme during the 2026 to 2027 financial year.

The figure was disclosed by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Kadesha Campbell Rochester, during Tuesday's sitting of Parliament's Public Administration and Appropriations Committee (PAAC).

According to Campbell Rochester, the bulk of the spending will go toward salaries for drivers, which are projected to cost about $630 million. Dispatchers are expected to earn more than $50 million.

Additional expenses include more than $7 million for maintenance, over $4 million in driver incentives, and approximately $114 million for other operational costs.

However, Campbell Rochester said projected revenue figures are not yet available, noting that many students have not yet taken up the bus cards required to use the service.

The Rural School Bus Programme was launched in September last year and was designed to provide safe and affordable transportation for students in rural communities.

The initiative has since come under public scrutiny following the Government's $1.4 billion purchase of 110 used school buses.

The Auditor General's Department has launched a probe into the programme to determine whether procurement and contract management practices complied with the laws and policies governing public procurement in Jamaica, and whether value for money was achieved.

- Sashana Small

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