Hanover MP urges gov’t to restart rural school bus service amid transportation costs affecting students following Melissa

A call is being made for the Government to quickly resume the rural school bus programme to help offset transportation costs being faced by students who have gone back to school following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

People’s National Party (PNP) Member of Parliament for Hanover Western, Heather Miller-Bennett, said many students have been subjected to paying adult fares, as they have been wearing regular clothing to attend school after they and their families suffered losses from the hurricane.

Miller-Bennett, speaking at a PNP press conference today, argued that students in Hanover and other western parishes are reeling from the effects of the Category 5 storm and cannot take on the added burden of transportation costs.

That’s why she is calling for the rural school bus system to get back rolling.

She added that schools in Hanover and elsewhere in western Jamaica suffered damage from the hurricane and need repair.

She also stated that there is the added issue of some schools still housing hurricane evacuees.

The MP said an appropriate solution needs to be found to facilitate learning while at the same time putting in place proper housing solutions for those in need of shelter.

Additionally, Miller-Bennett suggested that the Government may have to consider a special school feeding programme for students in western Jamaica, especially those on PATH, as many schools are without electricity and the resources needed to provide lunches to pupils.

She said that providing schools with generators may help the situation.

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