The Education Ministry is reporting a 95% improvement in student attendance for those using the Rural School Bus Programme.

The programme was launched in September last year.

It aims to provide safe, affordable and reliable transportation for rural students, reducing absenteeism, improving student safety and easing the financial burden on families.

According to the Ministry’s Director of Safety and Security, Richard Troupe, participating schools in the programme report that 90% of its users attend school on time.

Meantime, Transport Minister, Daryl Vaz said the data show that there is a decrease of over 10% in student off-campus loitering.

The Minister and Mr. Troupe were speaking during a press conference on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) says it is time to start earning revenue from the rural school bus system to sustain the programme.

The system, which was launched in September last year, allowed students to ride the buses free of cost until the end of October.

However, due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28, the free bus ride for students was extended to January 31.

Students who ride on the buses are now required to pay $50 per trip, using their cards.

Managing Director of the JUTC, Owen Ellington said since the roll-out of the programme, the company has been spending to ensure smooth operations but has yet to earn any revenue.

He said that since introducing the cashless system on February 1, there have been some challenges, as some students are not swiping their cards when they enter the bus.

Mr. Ellington is also urging parents to register their children to receive a bus card and asking school administrators to distribute them to students.