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63 New CNG Buses Arrive

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KINGSTON, June 19 (JIS): The Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) fleet has been boosted with the arrival of 63 new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.

Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz, and a team consisting of JUTC Managing Director, Owen Ellington, and Managing Director of Stewart’s Automotive Group, Duncan Stewart, were on site at Kingston Wharves on Thursday (June 19), to witness the arrival of the Yutong buses.

The Minister noted that arrival of the buses is a fulfilment of his commitment to provide the JUTC with 100 buses per year for three years.

“We are now in year two and already the second hundred buses are due to arrive in Jamaica. Sixty-three buses arrived today and are being unloaded. Another thirty coach diesel buses for excursions/charters will arrive on July 9 and another seven CNG buses for [persons with disabilities] will arrive in August of 2025. So, I will deliver on the second hundred buses within the first three months of the new financial year,” Mr. Vaz outlined.

He pointed out that with the latest arrival of buses, the JUTC now has more new buses in its fleet than older ones.

Mr. Vaz said the new CNG buses will operate out of the Spanish Town depot, where a new CNG fueling facility is now under construction and expected to be completed by the last week of August.

“Those buses that are now at Spanish Town will be redeployed in some instances to improve the existing service and to continue to expand the routes. So, this is a game changer for public transport in Jamaica,” the Minister said.

He noted that the JUTC has been seeing fewer complaints in recent months and commended the JUTC management for providing improved service to citizens.

Mr. Vaz pointed out that the new buses will positively contribute to service delivery, as they will reduce wait times on critical routes.

Each bus has a full capacity of up to 80 passengers distributed between seated and standing.

The Minister explained that the buses will do an average of six trips per day each, transporting at maximum capacity a total of 480 passengers per bus per day.

This means the full cohort of 70 CNG buses (the remaining seven are to arrive in August) will be able to transport 33,600 passengers per day.                                                                                                                          “That is going to improve existing routes, expand routes, and most importantly, bring the wait time for passengers down,” Mr. Vaz affirmed.

In his remarks, Mr. Ellington advised that information regarding the routes that the new buses will be placed on is to be put in the public domain shortly, so commuters can begin to anticipate the increased seats on their routes.

“We have done some service planning ahead of the arrival of these buses, so we know the routes that are currently underserved and require additional seats,” the Managing Director said.

He noted that the new CNG buses bring the JUTC’s operable fleet to approximately 350 units.

The new buses were procured by the Ministry, through the Stewart’s Automotive Group.                                                                                                                                                                                                         The dealership’s Managing Director emphasised that the state-of-the-art 12-metre 51-seat CNG buses will deliver superior service to the commuting public.

“Some of the highlights of the buses are that we have more space in the bus, so the leg room and shoulder room in the bus is superior; the bus is equipped with air suspension, so it is very comfortable even on our roads and we have superior fuel economy, and this is very important for JUTC’s operations,” Mr. Stewart explained.

The buses are also equipped with air suspension, allowing them to lower for passengers to board, and charging ports for mobile devices.

CONTACT: DONIQUE WESTON

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

Photos by Adrian Walker.

Header: Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz (second right), inspects a shipment of CNG buses at Kingston Wharves on Thursday (June 19). He is accompanied by (from left) Managing Director of Stewart’s Automotive Group, Duncan Stewart; Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) Managing Director, Owen Ellington; JUTC Director of Operations, Romain-Khade Gayle and General Manager for Terminal Operations at Kingston Wharves, Ryan Peart. A total of 63 buses arrived and will be handed over to the JUTC to boost its fleet.

1st insert: Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz (right), poses with one of the new CNG buses that arrived at Kingston Wharves on Thursday (June 19). He is joined in the photo by Managing Director of Stewart’s Automotive Group, Duncan Stewart (left) and Managing Director of Stewart’s Auto Sales Ltd., Jackie Stewart Lechler. A total of 63 buses arrived and they will be handed over to the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) to boost its fleet.

2nd insert: One of the 63 new CNG buses procured for the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) is offloaded at Kingston Wharves on Thursday (June 19).

3rd insert: Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz, gives his approval after touring one of the 63 new CNG buses that arrived at Kingston Wharves on Thursday (June 19). The buses will be handed over to the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC).

4th insert: Minister of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, Hon. Daryl Vaz, inspects a shipment of CNG buses that arrived at Kingston Wharves on Thursday (June 19). The 63 buses will be handed over to the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), to boost its fleet.

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Haitian Pushback Halts Controversial Constitution Rewrite — What’s Next?

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Deandrea Hamilton | Editor

 

Haitian media, legal scholars and civic voices did what bullets and barricades couldn’t: they stopped a sweeping constitutional overhaul widely branded as anti-democratic.  Editorials and analyses tore into proposals to abolish the Senate, scrap the prime minister, shift to one-round presidential elections, expand presidential power, and open high office to dual-nationals—a package critics said would hard-wire dominance into the executive at a moment of near-lawless insecurity.

The Venice Commission—Europe’s top constitutional advisory body—didn’t mince words either. In a formal opinion requested by Haiti’s provisional electoral authorities, it pressed for clear legal safeguards and credible conditions before any referendum, including measures to prevent gang interference in the electoral process—an implicit rebuke of pushing a foundational rewrite amid a security collapse.

Facing that drumbeat, Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council has now formally ended the constitutional-reform initiative. The decision, taken at a Council of Ministers meeting at the National Palace, effectively aborts the rewrite track that has haunted Haiti since the Moïse and Henry eras.

So what now? Per the Miami Herald, the pivot is back to basics: security first, elections next. That means stabilizing Port-au-Prince enough to run a vote, rebuilding the electoral timetable, and empowering the provisional electoral machinery—none of which is simple when gangs control vast chunks of the capital and state authority remains fragile. Recent headlines underline the risk: gunfire has disrupted top-level government meetings, a visceral reminder that constitutional theory means little without territorial control.

Bottom line: Haitian journalists and public intellectuals helped slam the brakes on a high-stakes centralization of power that lacked legitimacy and safe conditions. International constitutional experts added weight, and the transition authorities finally conceded reality. Now the fight shifts to making an election possible—clean rolls, secure polling, and credible oversight—under circumstances that are still hostile to democracy. If the state can’t guarantee basic safety, any ballot is theater. If it can, shelving the rewrite may prove the first real step back toward consent of the governed.

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Political Theatre? Caribbean Parliamentarians Walk Out on House Speaker

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By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media

 

October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.

For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.

October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts

The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader, led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.

The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.

Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.

The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.

October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit

Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.

The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.

“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”

The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.

Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”

“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”

A Pattern Emerging

While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.

In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.

Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.

Why It Matters

Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.

Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.

“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”

Restoring Balance

Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.

Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.

For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.

 

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts celebrate a night of wins, and take home a total of 16 titles at the 32nd Annual World Travel Awards

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~Sandals Resorts hosts the 32nd Annual World Travel Awards Caribbean and The Americas Gala & celebrates its 32nd consecutive win as The Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand~

 

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA, October 8, 2025 – Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts have been honoured with 16 awards at the 2025 World Travel Awards Caribbean and The Americas, underscoring their continued leadership across the hospitality landscape.

The Gala Ceremony held at Sandals Grande St. Lucian honoured the visionaries and trailblazers shaping the travel and tourism industry. The evening united government leaders and hospitality professionals for a night of celebration, recognition and inspiration.

Among celebratory toasts, Sandals Resorts International was named the Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand for the 32nd year in a row. Beaches Turks and Caicos also celebrated its 18th win as the Caribbean’s Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort, a recognition that comes ahead of the debut of its Treasure Beach Village, the resort’s $150 million expansion set to open spring 2026.

Other key wins include Sandals Dunn’s River, recognized as the Caribbean’s Leading Luxury All-Inclusive Resort for the third year in a row after opening its doors in 2023 and Sandals South Coast, awarded the Caribbean’s Most Romantic Resort.

The 16 awards won under Sandals’ portfolio are:

  • Caribbean’s Leading Hotel Brand 2025: Sandals Resorts International
  • Caribbean’s Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort 2025: Beaches Turks & Caicos
  • Caribbean’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica
  • Caribbean’s Leading Dive Resort 2025: Sandals Royal Curaçao
  • Caribbean’s Leading Honeymoon Resort 2025: Sandals Grande St. Lucian
  • Caribbean’s Leading Luxury All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Dunn’s River, Jamaica
  • Caribbean’s Most Romantic Resort 2025: Sandals South Coast, Jamaica
  • Bahamas’ Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Royal Bahamian
  • Curaçao’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Royal Curaçao
  • Grenada’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Grenada
  • Jamaica’s Leading Adult-Only All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Negril
  • Jamaica’s Leading All-Inclusive Family Resort 2025: Beaches Negril
  • Jamaica’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Montego Bay
  • Jamaica’s Leading Resort 2025: Sandals Royal Caribbean
  • Saint Lucia’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Grande St. Lucian
  • Saint Vincent & The Grenadines’ Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2025: Sandals Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Surrounded by the beauty of Gros-Islet, St. Lucia, the peninsula location of Sandals Grande St. Lucian created the perfect backdrop for World Travel Awards’™ guests to enjoy an unforgettable dining experience and breathtaking island views.

“At the heart of every Sandals and Beaches vacation is pure, inviting Caribbean soul, paired with world-class hospitality experiences for all our guests. The recognitions bestowed to our brands tonight are truly meaningful. They serve as a testament to the incredible passion and dedication of our talented team members,” said Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts. “It is yet another reminder of why we will never stop evolving, listening to our customers and refining our experiences year after year.”

For more information about these award-winning resorts, please visit www.sandals.com and www.beaches.com. For more information on the World Travel Awards™, please visit https://www.worldtravelawards.com/.

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