State-run bus company has vehicles but lacks personnel to transport students across St James and beyond.
Montego Bay Metro, the state-run bus company serving western Jamaica, is grappling with a driver shortage that is undermining its ability to serve students across five parishes, according to reporting from the Jamaica Observer. The company operates routes in St James, Trelawny, Westmoreland, and Hanover, but the lack of available drivers has forced it to scale back service despite having sufficient vehicles.
Spot Valley High School Principal Richard Thompson told the Observer that the service has been unavailable to his institution for approximately a year, forcing the school to engage private drivers to transport students from sections of Montego Bay to the Rose Hall campus. While Thompson acknowledged that discussions with Montego Bay Metro have taken place, he indicated the school may need to press harder for a resolution, noting that the company cited mechanical issues with the bus typically assigned to the route.
A Montego Bay Metro representative explained to the Observer that the company currently has 16 buses available for deployment, plus two premium units that serve Kingston, but the driver shortage is the primary constraint preventing full service coverage. The company had intended to cover routes to Cambridge, Anchovy, Rusea’s, and Green Pond on the first day of the new academic year, though Spot Valley was not included in that morning’s schedule.
At Green Pond High School, however, the bus service operated smoothly on the first day of the academic year. Principal Oraine Ebanks credited the Montego Bay Metro service with improving student punctuality and noted that a unit from the Rural School Bus Programme has also contributed significantly to attendance improvements. According to Ebanks, students have increasingly recognized the economic benefits of using the service, particularly given the scarcity of reliable public transportation in the area.
Montego Bay Metro, established in 1997, has historically served numerous secondary institutions including Muschett, Irwin, William Knibb, Rusea’s, Anchovy, Cambridge, Hopewell, and Knockalva Technical High Schools. The driver shortage is not a new challenge for the company; in 2024, when 12 buses were added to the fleet, the company was actively seeking to hire 20 drivers to support expanded operations.
Montego Bay Metro is an agency of the Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport that has operated for nearly three decades. The service was established in 1997 and has expanded over the years to cover five routes across western Jamaica: Cambridge and Goodwill in St James; Falmouth in Trelawny; Mackfield in Westmoreland; and Sandy Bay in Hanover. The company has a history of addressing transportation gaps in areas where reliable public transit is limited.
This story reflects a broader challenge across Caribbean public services: the difficulty of maintaining reliable, affordable student transportation in rural and semi-rural areas. The Montego Bay Metro’s struggles highlight how workforce shortages can undermine educational access and student punctuality in Jamaica, a concern relevant to Caribbean nations grappling with similar public transportation and human resources challenges.
Written & Edited by Orlyn Edwards. Published by Caribbean Air Force Media.
Category: News · Island routing: Jamaica