Holness: Gov’t investing in transport sector to reduce cost of living to Jamaicans
KINGSTON, Jamaica— As the new academic year begins, Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Monday highlighted that the investments the Government has made in the transportation sector form part of efforts to reduce the cost of living for Jamaicans.
He was speaking with parents and students entering grade seven at Jamaica College during a special back-to-school devotion.
Education Minister Fayval Williams and Transport Minister Daryl Vaz were also in attendance.
Holness, who had gone to the school after a visit to the Half-Way Tree Transport Centre said he could see a mixture of pride and worry on the faces of parents as they made their way to their destinations.
The prime minister said he noticed that these worried looks were connected to the cost of living, including back-to-school expenses, and safety concerns that parents have for their children on the road and at school.
He explained that the Government is working to alleviate these worries by reducing the cost of living, and one way it is seeking to do so, is by addressing the cost of public transportation.
“One area that the Government will be focussing on heavily is on reducing the cost of living. When we talk about the cost of living some persons may say inflation, prices are moving too fast. Yes, inflation is an issue but inflation is not the same as the cost of living, it is a part of the cost of living,” Holness said.
“But one area of the cost of living which affects you, the parents who are gathered here today, is the cost of public transportation. And not just the cost of public transportation, but the quality of public transportation; the reliability, the cleanliness, the availability of seats, the maintenance of schedule. All of those things affect the cost that you pay for public transportation,” he said.
Holness said that the Government is working on getting more buses into the public transportation system with a structure to provide subsidies to people who cannot afford to pay, like students and the elderly, as a way to reduce the cost of living for parents.
Last Tuesday, 100 new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses were handed over to the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) at the State-owned company’s depot in Braeton, Portmore, St Catherine.
“There are many other programmes like this that the government is working on but today as you go back to school, as parents you have to contend with the cost of education, the cost of public transport, worrying about security, I want you to be aware of the changes and the investments that the government is making in improving the quality of your life,” Holness said.
He revealed that the buses are equipped with cameras and are geo-tracked. They will also be connected to a yet to be launched app where users will be able to monitor the buses and plan ahead.