Rural fare disparity
published: Saturday | August 30, 2003

THE EDITOR, Sir:

KINDLY ALLOW me space to state my views in your newspaper on the Government's approach to urban fare increase and wide disparity in rural and urban fares for school children. Government subsidies to its urban public transportation can hardly be seen as not political. Because, disconcerting disparity is shown to rural secondary school children, senior citizens and the disabled.

There is no doubt that concerted effort has been exercised to increase fares in the urban areas by 45 per cent, including concessionary fares of $15 to all school children, senior citizens, disabled and identifiable tertiary students. However, a similar approach was not considered or initiated for rural areas. The approach taken towards the rural secondary school children, senior citizens and disabled people has typically and manifestly represented an unbalanced developmental approach. For too long consecutive governments in Jamaica have not taken rural people seriously as those in urban areas. Rural decency and discipline are treated in a dishonourable manner.

The secondary school children in rural parishes are faced with hardship, paying hefty fares to and from schools. One such parish is Clarendon. Secondary school children travelling from Vere to May Pen pay $60 per day for fares. Each child pays $300 weekly and monthly $12,000 at the ending of the school term ­ July 2003. In contrast, the urban secondary and tertiary students' current fares have increased to $25 per day. Consequently, one child needs $125 for the week and a total of $500 per month. It is a manifest failure not to use the state's public transportation in the interest of all school children and needy and vulnerable people in rural and urban areas.

I am, etc.,

TREVOR COLEMAN

Corn Piece District

Hayes P.O.

Clarendon

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