Fatal crash survivor boards new Portland school bus

Fourteen-year-old student Ronika Silveria, who is still experiencing nightmares after being involved in a fatal accident last year, was among a group that boarded a designated school bus which started operating on Monday from Buff Bay into Port Antonio, Portland.

Silveria, who was one of nine people aboard an ill-fated taxi that slammed into the back of a parked truck along the main road near Buff Bay last year - resulting in the death of two of her schoolmates from Titchfield High School, Onaja Lindsay and Jajuan Wynter - boarded the school bus with confidence on Monday.

“I am very relieved knowing that there is a safe transportation on the road for me to come to school, and for the rest of the students,” she said, before breaking down in tears.

It was a day that saw the first of four buses procured by Daryl and Ann-Marie Vaz, members of parliament for West Portland and East Portland, respectively, being commissioned for the transporting of students to school, following a brief ceremony at Olivier Park in Buff Bay on Monday.

The school bus, a 2010 United States model which has since undergone refurbishing and has been retrofitted, transported approximately 70 students from Buff Bay into Port Antonio - a move that has since gained a thumbs up from principals, students, and parents, who have all expressed their appreciation.

“I am seeing where we can safely bring scores of students to school, “commented Richard Thompson, principal of Titchfield High School in East Portland.

“As principal, we would have lost a few students [due to motor vehicle accidents], and then last year two of our students sadly passed in an accident. But I think our focus should be on safety. This initiative, for us, represents one of safety, not just for Titchfield students, but for all the students in the parish. We welcome it with open arms, and I am going to be encouraging my students to take the buses when they are available,” he added.

Another principal, Kevin Brown of Buff Bay High, expressed delight at having a school bus designated to transport students from Buff Bay into Port Antonio and back, which, according to him, will allow students to get to school safely and on time for classes.

In the meantime, Daryl Vaz, who is also the minister with responsibility for transport, pointed out that an additional seven buses will be made available through the Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information for September, which, according to him, will bring the total to 11 school buses that will be assigned to transport students to schools in Portland alone.

“What better time to begin the journey than in May, as it is Child Month,” commented the transport minister.

RESTORING HOPE, ENSURING SAFETY

“It is a time to honour, uplift, and invest in our nation’s future. Today’s’ launch is about more than buses. It is about restoring hope, ensuring safety, and offering equity in access to education. This initiative was borne out of tragedy and shaped by vision, in the wake of the painful accidents in Black Hill and White Rock (Buff Bay), which claimed the lives of at least three of our children. We knew we had to act. So MP Ann-Marie Vaz and myself committed to doing something.

“This initiative was a MP-driven initiative for Portland, which has now [developed into] an all-island rural school bus system to be operated and funded by the Government of Jamaica. So where we are going to be doing four buses, the Ministry of Education has allocated seven additional buses to the parish of Portland out of the rural school bus initiative ... out of the first 100 buses. So, if you add four and seven, you get 11,” he added.

Under the now rural school bus system, students will be able to travel to school in ease and comfort on a timely basis, therefore eliminating the challenges and nightmares once experience by them. These discomfort include alleged verbal abuse from some taxi and minibus operators, having to travel in the trunk of taxis, and being forced to endure the indignity of sitting on each other’s lap as they journeyed to school.

Meantime, the East Portland MP, who expressed joy at having a rural school bus system in place to assist students getting to and from school, stated that the first roll-out of the bus is timely, as with this month being celebrated as Child Month, every student who travels on the bus will do so without paying any bus fare for the entire month.

“So, between the two of us as MPs, you will all be able to travel on this bus free of cost for the entire month, which is being celebrated as Child Month,” she said.

“Every student should be able to get to school on time with utmost ease, instead of having to wait long hours to get to school. The remaining buses will be here for September and this will allow for students living in the Rio Grande Valley of East Portland to get to their destination on time. Those living in remote areas will be shuttled down to the zones, through a private arrangement with taxi and minibus operators. And we are very happy for the students,” she added.

A full roll-out of the school bus system for Portland is slated for September. Under the new school bus system initiated by the Government, the Jamaica Urban Transit Company is charged with the responsibility of training the bus drivers and to service the 100-unit fleet, which will arrive at the start of the new academic year.

editorial@gleanerjm.com