‘LET US DEBATE’: PHILLIPS CHALLENGES VAZ ON TRANSPORT SECTOR FAILURES

 

MANDEVILLE, JAMAICA

A heated political showdown over Jamaica's troubled transport system is brewing as Opposition spokesman Mikael Phillips has publicly challenged Minister Daryl Vaz to a live debate on the Government's performance and plans.

🚌 PHILLIPS CALLS OUT VAZ: "YOUR GOVERNMENT MASH IT UP"
Speaking at a People’s National Party (PNP) joint conference in Hatfield, Manchester, Phillips declared that the current Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) administration has “mash up” the transportation sector, especially the State-owned Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC). “The prime minister go through four minister of transport… all four don’t even make one,” Phillips blasted.

He argued that when the PNP left office in 2016, the country had a working system. Now, he said, the sector is failing under JLP mismanagement, and Minister Vaz is “part of the problem, not the solution.”

🎤 DEBATE DARE ISSUED
“If Daryl Vaz want to debate us on transportation, let us have a meaningful debate,” Phillips said. He criticized Vaz’s recent Parliament remarks as mere “cussing” and accused him of avoiding constructive dialogue.

🚍 SCHOOL TRANSPORT PLAN UNDER FIRE
A major point of contention is the rural school transport initiative. Phillips claims the PNP proposed a plan to move 20,000 students daily, which Vaz dismissed as unrealistic. Phillips defended the proposal and insisted school transportation should not be politicized.

🗣️ OUR OPINION
The call for a public debate on transportation is a bold and necessary step. Both parties need to present clear, actionable solutions. With countless Jamaicans depending on a functional transit system—especially schoolchildren—this is not a time for insults, but for accountability.