Holmwood Technical High starts Community Bus Service to transport students - Multimodal Transport System with JUTC and JRC Still the best long-term option

Looks like the students of Holmwood Technical High has taken matters into their own hands following the accident that killed four (4) of their students  on Wednesday September 25^th 2013 as described in my blog article entitled “Four Holmwood Technical High School students killed in Crash in Chudleigh - Opportunity to Implement Islandwide JUTC Bus System, JRC Passenger Trains along with Automated Traffic Ticketing System”.

They have now set up a Community Bus Service to Transport students from Mandeville to Christiana as stated in the article “Holmwood Technical Rolls Out Community School Bus Service”, published MONDAY, 07 OCTOBER 2013 16:27 By Douglas Mcintosh, JIS Reporter, The Jamaica information Service. Holmwood Technical High had already contracted fourteen (14) buses, with an additional four (4) to be added to make the fleet up to a total of eighteen (18) buses just for the students!

And yes, the Minister of Education, Ronald Thwaites has encouraged other schools to take note of this Community driven initiative and establish their own Community Bus service  in conjunction with the Parish Council as stated in the article “School Administrations Encouraged to Set Up Bus Systems for Students”, published TUESDAY, 08 OCTOBER 2013 15:09 By Douglas Mcintosh, JIS Reporter, The Jamaica information Service and “Thwaites encourages schools to set up Bus System for students”, published Tuesday, October 08, 2013 5:02 PM, The Jamaica Observer.

This isn’t the Islandwide Rollout of the JUTC or even a revival of the JRC (Jamaica Railway Corporation) that I was hoping that this incident would’ve been a catalyst for the current Minister of Transport Dr. Omar Davies to revive. A multi-modal Idea for Transport in the country a whole as originally proposed by former JLP Minister of Transport Mike Henry is a better option that our current fragmented Transport System!

Rather it’s targeted; Holmwood Technical High is basically doing like UWI (University of the West Indies) or even the Call Centers and taking Transportation issues into their own hands via contracting Coaster Buses to carry their students. This as it’s apparent that the Traffic Police are allowing Bus Drivers with more than 200 Traffic Tickets were allowed to ply the streets of Mandeville as stated in the article “Holmwood driver slapped with manslaughter charges” published Friday, September 27, 2013 BY ALICIA SUTHERLAND Observer staff reporter, The Jamaica Observer and “Drivers in ill-fated crash had more than 200 traffic tickets – SSP Lewis”, published Thu September 26, 2013 7:13 am, RJR News Online.

While they’re at it, I hope that SSP Radcliffe Lewis can also begin to remove those Buses with the heavy tint and the Super Bass Sound Systems as is currently ongoing in Kingston in the country areas as well as stated in the article “Police seize more than 20 Buses in clampdown”, published Tuesday, October 08, 2013, The Jamaica Observer.

This as albeit these Buses may be provided for their safety, if the Students in Spanish Town are anything to go by, they may end up avoiding them in order to go on the very same unsafe mini Buses and Coaster Buses that are heavily tinted aka the “Ramping Shop” Buses. Apparently they are so called as the students engage in every while fantasy from French Kissing to sexual Intercourse within the darkened confines of the Buses. Thus these Buses gotta go in order to remove the option of even travelling on them in the first place.

Still batting for Multimodal Transport System as argued in my blog article entitled “Four Holmwood Technical High School students killed in Crash in Chudleigh - Opportunity to Implement Islandwide JUTC Bus System, JRC Passenger Trains along with Automated Traffic Ticketing System”!  But until then, if this is adopted by other High Schools, then they are on the right path as it relates to guaranteeing the safety of High School students!