Less than one third of students use school buses
(CNS): A survey on the use of school buses has confirmed what every driver in Cayman already knows: traffic congestion during the morning commute is fuelled by the school run. The major difference between the weight of traffic in the morning and evenings during term-time compared to the school holidays has been obvious for years. But with more than two-thirds of all kids in school not using buses, traffic could be eased enormously by filling school bus seats.
A government survey found that although three-quarters of those parents who participated said schools should provide buses, only 6% said their children were using them. The majority of the respondents in this survey were parents with children in private schools where only a very small fraction has access to any kind of bus service. But even where kids do have access to buses, it seems a majority are still being driven to school in private cars.
The 2023 report on public transport published by Deloitte found that 68% of all children are not using school buses.
The latest survey was conducted by the transport ministry in September. It was distributed to all schools across Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, including early childhood care providers, and 791 people responded. Around 640 were parents of children who go to private school or otherwise don’t have access to the bus service.
Of the parents who responded, only 6% said their children use the bus service. According to figures provided by the ministry, around 151 respondents said their children do have access to the school bus service, but only 32% of students who could ride the bus to school don’t.
Three quarters of parents who said their children don’t have access to the bus service said they would use it if it were available.
A press release about the survey findings said that 74% of respondents believed schools should provide transport for students, with many open to paying an additional fee for such a service.
Among parents whose children have access to a bus service but choose not to use it, 61% cited scheduling conflicts as the primary barrier because bus routes and timing did not align with family needs. Less frequently cited concerns included convenience, reliability and safety.
Officials said the goal of the survey was to gain deeper insights into how school traffic impacts congestion, overall commuter behaviour during peak hours, and potential solutions to alleviate the growing strain on the roads.
“The survey confirms what many drivers experience daily: school traffic significantly contributes to congestion during peak hours,” the release stated.
Of those parents who participated, 63% said they leave for school or work between 7am and 8am, and 79% continue directly to work after school drop-off, highlighting the strong link between school-related travel and morning traffic jams. Nearly half of the parents said they return home between 5pm and 7pm, and 41% do so between 3pm and 5pm, creating a secondary traffic peak.
Responders said their average commute time from home to school was 27 minutes and the drive from school to work averaged 22 minutes, though 14% of parents said their school commutes exceeded 45 minutes, underscoring the strain on road networks. Every family surveyed used at least one car for school-related travel and 44% of families said they rely on more than one vehicle, further increasing congestion.
However, the serious question lies with the untapped potential of school bus use to cut traffic. “Despite strong parental support for school transportation, the survey found that 94% of students are not currently using school buses,” officials stated about the findings.
The survey found that 74% of responders support staggered school start and end times, a potential traffic-reduction strategy that would prevent all students from traveling to and from school simultaneously, easing congestion in high-traffic zones. “The primary concern among those opposed is conflicts with work schedules, an issue that could be mitigated through more flexible scheduling solutions,” the ministry said.
The survey also sought to understand why roads become significantly clearer when schools are out of session — something that appears obvious. It found that 48% of parents said they “work as usual” during school holidays, with many relying on organised camps or at-home childcare.
“This reinforces the idea that school-related travel is a primary contributor to Cayman’s peak-hour traffic challenges,” the officials said — which calls into question the massive amount of money the government plans to spend on the East-West-Arterial extension.
Deputy Chief Officer Tristan Hydes thanked the parents who took the time to share their input, saying it would help government find solutions.
“While improving transportation in Cayman is a complex issue that extends beyond school traffic, it is evident that school drop-offs and pick-ups create significant choke points in the morning and afternoon rush hours,” he said. “The strong response to this survey highlights how much parents are invested in finding solutions, and we are encouraged by the willingness to explore new, innovative approaches to ease congestion for all commuters.”
Hydes said the ministry is now evaluating potential solutions based on these findings, such as enhancing school bus services to improve accessibility and convenience, piloting staggered school schedules to help ease peak-hour congestion, and developing alternative commuting options to provide parents with more flexibility.
While the outgoing UPM administration and its predecessors have all discussed introducing a modern, efficient and reliable public transport network, so far, no progress has been made on that idea.
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Category: Business, Education, Local News, Transport, Travel
cayman wonderland system…..
no school buses and kids can’t walk or cycle to school because of dangerous roads and insanely bad driving habits
free solution:
cars with one child are not allowed onto school grounds for drop -off.
this will force parents into car-sharing with other kids.
Those shiny new “sport” SUVs financed for 7 years must be used as kid transports daily in gridlock to make the drivers feel complete. Driving them like their hair is on fire makes them feel powerful.
Actually it protects me from the Honda FIT nut jobs.
It’s too damn hot to ride to work or school or anywhere else 75% of the time. Are schools, office, CIG going to put multiple showers in place to cater to those that are mad enough to ride in the midday sun?
My CIG workplace has a shower. Unfortunately road safety keeps me off my bike even though I rode to uni back in the day.
False. Today’s ebikes and scooters go 25 mph. You might have the opposite problem and need a sweater or windbreaker.
Okay, using your assumptions we get a 25% improvement in morning and evening rush hour traffic, for next to nothing. Explain why we shouldn’t pursue that as an easy win, keeping in mind that many folks aren’t fortunate to have multiple choices on transport.
I would have no issues with my daughter travelling on a school bus even at the current times or earlier, mixed with public and private school kids or separated. For my husband and I, the reasons why we currently don’t – is because of where the school bus drops off. Unfortunately, we live in very different times today than when we took the bus as 14-year-olds (and younger) and walked to and from home over much greater distances. I even rode to school from 15yo onwards. In fact, I longed to have my daughter experience bussing to school believing this experience to be one of great value in her growing up, experiencing the bond our ‘bus crew’ or ‘our neighbourhood crew’ had felt seemed so important to me for her to experience however, the reason is that we simply cannot put our 14-year-old daughter at risk of walking distances alone past construction sites or even past houses of people I don’t know. I am terrorized by the mere thought of evil men/women who will have no hesitation harming her or even harassing her. Perhaps it’s not the best way to live to think or feel this way but, God forgive me, I’ve heard too many stories, and yes, in Cayman, and I would never, EVER, EVER, forgive myself if anything, literally anything, happened to her. She is not equipped to protect or defend herself; nor should she have to against these types of potential threats which are far too often a reality in today’s times.
If this was a different time…then maybe.
For us – her safety is our ultimate concern and responsibility as her parents, and she is the safest with me, in my car, on my way to work.
I’m just being honest.
I also think it’s not just school traffic, but reliable public transport is needed. There’d be a lot less cars/drivers on the road who only have cars and drive now because of the inadequacies of reliable, consistent public transport.
Back in 2023 (I think) parliament passed Mr. McLaughlin’s proposal for all the schools to use buses. The private schools immediately bawled that they could not afford to buy buses. Then government turned around in finance committee and gave some of the private schools money because they were “facing difficulties”. I support the premise that having all students on buses would not only minimize traffic congestion, but it would help teenagers realize that, regardless of what school they attend, most of them are navigating the same issues. From a mental health perspective, that could prove to be a huge benefit.
On one side, I’ve seen kids from John Gray getting dropped off by a bus on Fairbanks. We already have chunky kids, this doesn’t help, but I also see the appalling lack of infrastructure where walking even short distances isn’t safe.
We’ve managed to USA-a-fy our roads network to making a car almost compulsory. Walking and cycling are not safe, so this is where we are.
I’m also pretty sure kids film CIS etc have parents who would rather the buses are modern and safely driven, not the current crop of smoky old buses being driven by Otto from The Simpsons.
8.02 Your last paragraph is really disrespectful and full of bigotry.i guess we need to import new buses to be driven by drivers imported from Europe.Shameful.
Truth sucks!
I’ve been in a bus driven by a Bosnian, so no, that’s not what I’m saying.
I’m saying that the buses are old clunkers from the States, and that some drivers need to be educated as to how to drive safely. Is it bigotry to point out I’ve been overtaken down South Sound by a bus whilst doing the speed limit? or been tailgated for driving slowly in an active school zone? If you don’t see how terrible some drivers are, you’re part of the issue.
CIS kids can’t stand the Barney Bus heat.
It’s criminal that the bus owners remove the AC units they had in USA , before used in big government contracts for cayman kids.
So Hotttt
it explains why they’re often speeding. The speed is needed to generate ample breeze!
Having laws and rules but not having the discipline to follow them culturally is the problem here. Unfortunately the locals are taught and follow the leadership example to their own demise. The only way to change this is from within but go back to the first sentence. The problems of today are the same problems tomorrow until the end of the culture or the bills come due which is the same thing.
This country needs more work from home opportunities. Literally, so many other places in this world are so far ahead of the curve and then there is the Cayman Islands, stuck in the dinosaur ages. Why is progressiveness so slow in this country? It is beyond annoying having to spend almost up to 2 hours sometimes just to get to and from work from the eastern districts, severely impacting your quality of life.
I would bet that 50% or more could work from home.
Certainly many of those in Civil Service.
They can certainly run their side businesses from home.
Civil Services workers does so little work now. imagine what they do from home ?
Why? lets start with the totally inadequate government run edumacation system which puts any student far behind in the intelligence spectrum. If your bad at your job at work your not going to be better doing it at home. Many of you reading this will not get this.
Your (sic) right.
7.43 The prejudice is easy to read by even a dum dum like me.
Using syllogism’s is not a convincing argument. Work from home can be very successful and productive. If you are bad at your job and retained by your employer what does that tell you?
Our helper, Gardner, and pool guy asked if they could work from home….
Gardener
Yes, him too.
100% would accept pay for being at home.
Just look at the dinosaur politicians and their behaviour that have been so called’governing’ these Islands for years, the Islands that time forgot is an understatement. Just the apparrel of some speaks for itself.
“Why is progressiveness so slow in this country.” Oh my dear, CIG has no clue how to take out the garbage, protect the priceless environment, or enforce it’s laws. I could list the other 30-40 serious issues that are being ignored by the esteemed Ministers who are under educated, under experienced, under ethically concerned and under morally committed. They only less qualified are the electorate who elects these clowns. Sorry, you elected clowns, you got a circus. Enjoy the show, it’s what you wanted!
How about just allow drop offs earlier and have after school programs…?
Free travel ~ absolutely! But free food ~ needs to return to the pre-covid time where needs had been met but most students paid for meals.
Interesting that a majority of parents say they want school buses but so few that have them now actually use them. Expanding the school bus system to private schools will not solve the traffic problem unless the usage rate drastically increases, and even then it seems unlikely given the significant number of parents who are carrying on to work anyway so those vehicles are still on the road.
The bigger question for me is why would we look at a school bus system that would be completely separate from a robust overall public transit system? Fold the two together – have public bus routes that service the main school areas at the times needed. Offer students low cost (or even free) bus passes. This is successfully done in many places, there’s no need to invent it from the ground up. A small school bus service could maybe stay in place for field trips and the like, but there’s no need for it otherwise.
I do appreciate that this means actually implementing a robust public transit system which for inexplicable reasons is something successive Governments have been unable to do, but I can dream…
“…unable to do…” Let’s not smooth over the fact that CIG is/has been UNWILLING to do this.
I am firm believer that the majority of traffic woes is NOT attributed to parents dropping their children at school, but rather the constant stopping of school busses to collect students for school and then later to let off students after school.
I agree 100% that even if all schools provided a bus service for their attending students, there still would not be any significantly less traffic either as the majority of parents will be driving to work anyway.
As you posted, the answer is a simple one, the implementation of a RELIABLE Public Transit System, and I for one would be happy to use it to commute to and from work.
Adding more roads will also NOT alleviate the problem either as long as everyone is attempting to arrive in George Town around the same time. Drivers will find themselves gridlocked in bottleneck traffic still all attempting to drive through the “Beautifully Restored George Town” (but that is another topic for another day!!)
Government should consider satellite offices for their workers in the Eastern District as a start. For example, a satellite office where it doesn’t matter what department a person works for they can go to work and still be in contact with their team via telephone, teams, zoom, etc. This might alleviate some of the traffic coming from the Eastern districts. I know it will take some time if they do go through with a decision like this but this will be a start.
Also, I am not sure how the staggering of school hours will work, as the Government schools already start at 8:30a.m. and parents are already dropping off their kids before 7:30a.m. or after to get themselves to work on time. Will the private schools and the private sector offices be willing to comply?
They should have the whole government move to Bodden town anyway.
Why worry about roads when CIG can better spend their time and resources sending a contingent of 10 abroad on yet another FATF jolly. More promises will be made pre election and nothing will be delivered. Absolute gridlock in Bodden Town from 6am onwards.
This comment is misguided. Getting things right in financial services is the one thing must prioritize. Losing financial services revenue means massive revenue losses.
The real question is why isn’t traffic the number one issue in this election. It’s the number one issue that affects everyone.
Absent RCIPS is a bigger issue. Corruption. There are a lot of higher priorities than traffic, which really isn’t all that bad if you time your journeys.
After all these years, still cannot do one thing, multi-task, what dat.
Perhaps some of the expats don’t want their children riding the bus with natives.
Most expats kids go to private schools by law and most of these schools do not provide school bus service to their children, presumingly also because the families live across the entire island vs. the catchment areas that apply to the government schools.
What a stupid comment 12.01…. Jamaicans are expats too .
You mean – just like the “natives” dont want the expat kids going to the public schools? Putting your obvious prejudice to one side, look at the numbers. The vast majority of Caymanian children entitled to use the school bus system do not do so. Ask yourself why.
This is misinformation. Nobody ever said they don’t want immigrants in public schools. They said that they don’t want them to take the spots that would go to a Caymanian, leaving the Caymanian without affordable schooling. Hopefully you can recognize and acknowledge the vast difference between those two. Our population has skyrocketed and the demand for education has exceeded the supply (as is evidenced by the numerous new schools popping up: Island Primary, CF high school, etc etc etc)
They literally passed regulations preventing immigrants from being eligible. And the government – with a billion dollar budget – was apparently incapable of expanding the number of places in the public school system to accommodate them, despite spending more per student head than the private sector charges. And in that regard, government has never even contemplated the possibility of charging non Caymanian students to attend public school, which would have at least been an option for immigrant families struggling to find places for their kids. So no, dont think it has to do with limited resources being prioritised for Caymanian children at all. Educational apartheid – with the consequent rupture in social integration and the branding of public schools as second class. No exacerbated by the Caymanian well off migrating to the private schools.
Why the devisive comment.
Judging from the quality of education at the Government schools (i.e., historical scores, free exorcisms) most expats gravitate/are forced to better options. Reluctance to riding with Caymanian children (I was repulsed by your term) is not a valid concern.
At least half the issue is that some parents use the “kids in school and I have nobody to watch my kids after school” excuse to #1 go to work earlier than they supposed to and #2 get off of work early before 5pm.
Thats the plain simple truth. I see it everyday, I hear at the Govt Admin everyday….
Its not an issue of wether the kids CAN take the bus its wether the parents are using the “KIDS” excuse to avoid work.
I guess you are not a parent and if you are your children are already grown. When will companies realize that work can be done from anywhere? We did it in COVID times. Also, childcare is very expensive and there is no more “it takes a village to raise child”. My point is there should be no shame and regret for a parent to feel they should put work before their children when they have no help or cannot afford childcare. As the saying goes you can easily be replaced by your company and not your family.
Perfectly said. Thank you.
Hours are hours are hours and the reason they do that is to avoid the absolute gridlock are Luddite politicians have caused over the last 30 years by have zero plan.
You know starting earlier, paying an extra fee for childcare and then finishing early is still 8 hours a day or whatever.
Just means they don’t have to sit in hours traffic. Blame your boss for not allowing you to work remotely (likely because you can’t be trusted to).
Hello, I have no issue with starting early. its just that when a bussines, like Govt, does not start until 8am then excatly what does the employee do until 8??? I have seen alot of these EARLY birds wander around and do abosolutly NOTHING… but come 3pm they the first out the door… never stay past 3pm.. so no, 3pm is only 7hours, but ths hour for lunch makes it only 6hrs, and thats IF they get to the office at 7am…And while I am a supporter of working from home I do know alot of these “Home Workers” piss off and cant be found 75% of the time…. Maybe stop having kids you cant afford (meaning no unprotected sex), or find a job that suits your lifestyle and not one that pays more just for money and let somebody else who can do the job properly get the job.
To 6:37 pm: I speak for myself. I reach work EARLY. I start working soon as my computer is up and work until 5 because my child has after school. I do not gripe about it or cut corners.
11.34am What’s wrong with going to work early as long as you put in your hours. More flexi hours are needed versus everyone going to work at same time.
How many kids could pedal a bike/scooter to school if the NRA had delivered the safe bike corridors promised by Hew and the NRA Plan from 2015? Please order and install the protected cycling infrastructure also for those that have to get by on sub-living minimum wage. Paint the lanes for families, for commuters, for helpers, for triathletes, for other cycle hobbyists, for our tourists! We get over 235 sunny days a year.
You could put a 10 foot thick concrete wall between the road and a bicycle path and some of these parents would never let their child ride to school, much less get on the bus with the “peasants”.
It should be mandatory that ALL students take the bus, with drop offs approved only for special reasons. (broke foot, rain, etc)
Why not mandatory for everyone to take the bus including yourself?
Indeed. At this point, it will be far more costly, however even more necessary than in 2015. Bike lanes everywhere are VITAL to the future sanity and flow of Grand Cayman. At this point on the Brac, the road has now been paved twice, and much of the main roads are still dug up from Water Authority piping. What a perfect time to get the Brac real bike lanes. Necessary bike lanes. But, what was I thinking, that will only help the people, but alas not make any money.
You’ll be glad to learn the minimum wage labour cost line is unchanged from 2016. The real problem are the fuel station donor class and political lobbyists that want to keep our roads too dangerous for bikes, scooters, even pedestrians. It’s part of the CDP/PPM/UPM legacy we need to shake free of.
They don’t make money selling gas. They make money from the convenience store sales.
Doesnt solve the bad driving in Cayman
100%, I would never let my kids ride their bikes to school.
There are already kids that ride to school, just as they have all around the world for nearly 100 years. Why would we (even as unrelated parents) object to making that journey safer? Sorry not sorry to the fuel station lobbyists.
Pointless comment.
Perhaps, but “corridors” include more than just paint – they are physically partitioned from the other vehicular traffic with hardscaping and/or drilled armadillos/bollards. Go to any modern urban planned community and you will see cost-effective integrated transport solutions, that reduce congestion, parking headaches, improve mobility, and quality of life for all residents and visitors.