MANCHESTER, Jamaica — Opposition spokesman on transport Mikael Phillips is calling for a live, nationwide conversation on the direction of Jamaica’s public-transport reform—specifically the Government’s plan to launch a state-run school-bus fleet.
Addressing hundreds of supporters at the People’s National Party’s Manchester parish meeting on Sunday evening, the Manchester North West MP said the PNP welcomes a dedicated service for students, but decried “the method, not the mission.”
“Nobody in the PNP is arguing against safe, reliable rides for our children,” Phillips declared. “The disagreement is about design and dollars—we believe our blueprint moves more students for less money.”
Critique of the Government’s Approach
Phillips blasted the administration’s intention to import buses he considers ill-matched to narrow rural roadways. He warned that a one-size-fits-all fleet would pile fresh maintenance obligations onto an already cash-strapped Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC).
“JUTC is bleeding,” he said. “Why add another line item that neither our roads nor the company can carry?”
PNP’s Alternative: Upgrade the Existing Network
Instead of creating an entirely government-owned convoy, Phillips proposed a partnership model in which current route taxis and minibus operators receive financing to expand their capacity—from eight-seat ‘Voxies’ to 30-seat coaches.
- Target capacity: transport 20,000 students daily (five times the Government’s stated goal).
- Economic upside: preserves income for small and medium operators while modernising their fleets.
- Social equity: subsidised fares for families just above the PATH threshold.
“We’re turning transport providers into stakeholders, not casualties,” Phillips argued. “When small entrepreneurs grow, entire communities rise with them.”
Economic Ripple Effects
The spokesman framed his plan as an economic stimulus as much as a transport solution. Upgraded vehicles, he said, would be bought and serviced locally, boosting garages, parts dealers and insurance agents.
“Every converted coaster or upgraded minibus means new jobs in every parish,” he told the crowd.
Warning of Displacement
Phillips cautioned that the current Jamaica Labour Party proposal could push private operators out of business, triggering loan defaults and home foreclosures.
“It is reckless to pit the State against the very people it should empower,” he said. “We can move kids and keep livelihoods intact—it is not an either-or game.”
The call for a nationally televised debate has yet to receive an official response from the Government. For now, the contest over how to move Jamaica’s students is shaping up as a battle between a fleet the State owns and a fleet the public already drives.
