In the clearest indication yet that Barbadians could face a rise in bus fares and likely more private operators in mass transit, Government has slashed its subsidy to the Transport Board by one-third – even as the state bus company plans a new electric fleet to replace its dwindled and aging stock.
In the Estimates of Government’s spending and revenue targets for the next financial year, laid in Parliament on Tuesday, the cash-strapped bus company is to get $15.8 million, cut by $7.5 million from the 2018/2019 fiscal year.
The subvention to the Transport Board is “to assist with offsetting the operational cost”. The cut is in keeping with the mandate to cut transfers to state-owned enterprises under the IMF-backed austerity plan known as BERT.
While not indicating an imminent fare hike, Prime Minister Mia Mottley has already said the $2 fare for any journey on public transport would inevitably end – even as she rejected notions of a $5 bus fare.
Mottley had given the assurance that pensioners and police officers would continue to ride free on Transport Board buses.
“Will we have to sensibly review what the Transport Board and the minibus and ZR drivers get? Yes, we would,” she said during a joint media conference with the International Monetary Fund last year.
Mottley said: “We are sensitive to people’s plight and that is why there will not be a $5 bus fare in Barbados. But we have to increase the bus fare from the $2. And the Government will continue to maintain its role to support those who cannot carry that cost as we have always done.”
The 2019/2020 Estimates also made provision for a $1.58 million grant to the state regulator, the Transport Authority, for spending on improvement to public transport.
But this is also a roughly one-third reduction from the $2.12 million received in the previous fiscal year which ends on March 31.
At the same time, the Transport Board is to get $400,000 for capital works at Roebuck Street, Mangrove, Fairchild Street, Speightstown and Princess Alice bus terminals and depots – the same amount approved last year.
Overall, the Ministry of Transport, Works and Maintenance is earmarked for $120.66 million for the new financial year, which begins on April 1, an increase of about $16 million for the last financial year.
The Transport Board, which is currently experiencing a severe fleet shortage, is in the process of introducing between 120 and 180 electric buses over the next 18 months.
At the same time, Williams Industries is to embark on a pilot project with the state bus company to retrofit some of its redundant buses into electric-powered vehicles.
Well when the notion of increased bus fares was raised. Bajans wuk up bad and objected to that suggestion. Now the Government has gutted an already gutless entity that is critical to the public. I see all the signs of the ultimate plan to privatize our entire public transportation. What has me is that I’m paying more taxes and getting less for it.
Was the pilot with Williams Industries tendered? If only that company is doing the pilot, then only them will get the business. Is that not monopolization?
Let the public see all the cuts to the other statutory boards. Not only transport board we need to see all. Barbados Today you need to get the information and publish it for the public to see
The bus fare on Transport Board buses should be five Barbados Dollars with a two hour all use or transfer system.
School children in uniform and Seniors should be free.
Seems quite reasonable to me.
BLAME that CROOKED DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY for ALL of those CUTS.
That CROOKED DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY MESSED up the WHOLE of the COUNTRY just to get back at the BARBADOS LABOR PARTY.
…but it BACKFIRED on DEM as all like now they were hoping to be the OPPOSITION to take their fight to the Government ..now they have to go on facebook and twilight lectures to get their messages across …and it is still BACKFIRING on DEM as audiences at those get together of LOSERS conferences under the GUISE of twilight lectures have been dwindling steadily.
Just now that would be known as MIDNIGHT or GRAVEYARD lectures with those in attendance consisting mainly of the crickets, the mosquitoes, the cockroaches and other nocturnal pests… and DUPPIES too, since all a DEM like going back in the PAST to talk about a certain gentleman or to quote some medieval lines of latin
Dirty Harry like a broken record come with something new or shut up.
We all know that bus fares will be increase to $5.00 per trip.
If there is going to be privatization of the Transport sector.
Can the Mia Amor Mottley Barbados Labour Party make every effort to make sure that a large part of that falls into the hands of BLACK BARBADIANS??
Dont give ALL to the WHITE PEOPLE AND INDIAN MUSLIMS. Have feelings for your own race Mia. For a change help your own colour of people to climb the financial ladder.
Dont let us BLACK BARBADIANS continue to be at the BOTTOM OF THE HEAP FOREVER with the minority races in Barbados
continuing to wipe their feet on us.
For a start give duty free concessions to BLACK BARBADIAN PSV operators.
AS IT STANDS only WHITE OWNED ENTERPRISES IN BARBADOS HAVE THIS PRIVILEGE.
Now how can that be?? Minority races in Barbados who make up only 3% of the Barbados population being treated FAR, FAR better THAN BLACK BARBADIANS who make up 97% of the Barbados population.
The last time that I checked all the members in Parliament are BLACK. Why is it so difficult for BLACK BARBADIAN POLITICIANS to do something positive for BLACK BARBADIANS???
Why cant they lift their status?? THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY NOT TO BE MISSED. Help people of your own skin colour, MIA.
Dont only work on the behalf of WHITE BAJANS AND INDIAN MUSLIMS!!!!!!!!!
alright then harry has to be a robot…or has a very limited vocabulary
I read some thing about the 24 hour polyclinic operation put on hold, this 24 hour work thing was floating about in barbados for some time now but can`t get started. First a 24 hour bus service would have to be the first priority because people would have to know how they will get to and from their place of work and other travels so until transportation is satisfactory, forget about the 24 hour businesses.
Poor Turnover Harry, He has a real chip on his shoulder when it comes to the DLP. He called them all sorts of things and so they seem to be haunting him and have him in a miserable state. You need to cool it and stop acting so hyper, Patty will miss you if you catch a heart attack…..lol
MIA said bus fare won’t go at $5 and can’t stay at $2 so I’m guessing $3.
How far is $4.00 from $5.00? I am just asking
!
@GG – Not sure y u r interested if there was a tender or not.
HARRY PLEASE HURRY UP AND MAKE THE CHANGE TO OBJECTIVE COMMENTARY…..ELECTIONS OVER
“Some of our Members of Parliament recently claimed that they will not rest until someone is locked up, and they seemed to have found a target. It seems that they, media reporters and talk show moderators have all received the same memo – target Chris Sinckler. Before his reputation is irreparably damaged, let us look at the target of his legacy
After trying various iterations of a medium-term economic growth strategy, like any other entrepreneur, he seems to have happened upon his achievement, which in his case was the National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL). Immediately, the same actors in the business community, established media, professional associations and unions joined with the BLP and prejudged it as unworkable.
The tax was predicted to: make products unaffordable, destroy businesses, cause mass layoffs, and lead to mass poverty. The public was encouraged to despise the tax-master, by claiming that it was unconscionable and uncaring for Chris to demand additional taxes from Barbadians, who were already so highly overtaxed that it was literally impossible for them to bear any more.
Once it was implemented, none of the predictions came true. The NSRL was perhaps the most fair tax that any Government of Barbados has ever introduced since our independence. By comparison, VAT is by far the least fair. The NSRL forced businesses to be efficient and productive in order to be competitive. VAT created unfair competition by reducing business cash-flows, and forcing efficient businesses to significantly increase the price of their products above that of their smaller competitors.”
Grenville Phillips II
Make the school children pay BUS FARE
POOR CAT…of course ELECTIONS OVER and DONE WID…. and YOUR CROOKED DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY was WIPED CLEAN OFF the POLITICAL LANDSCAPE of BARBADOS..that means the MASSES DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING coming from their YARD FOWLS,PIMPS, PALING COCKS and wunna LOOK ALIKE.
In short ….MIND WUNNA DAMN BIZNESS…30 to NOTHING means that all ya WORTH NOTHING…all ya in even worth wha paddy shot at…and wunna should know by now wha PADDY SHOT AT..a WHOLE HEAP OF IT….POOR CAT !!…btw you is a he cat or she cat?
SONYFAIR,by now you and PATTY and all ya fellow YARD FOWLS,PIMPS PALING COCKS and wunna LOOK ALIKE should have known by now that MY JOB here is to keep the RECORD OF YOUR CROOKED DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY reign of ECONOMIC TERROR for the period 2008 – 2018 in the PUBLIC DOMAIN, to make MOCK SPORT at wunna in the process …but, FIRST and FOREMOST to mek wunna READ MY COMMENTS day in and day out and twice on SUNDAYS and get all ya SORRY and DEJECTED souls MISERABLE and VEX as RH….and it looks as though it is working to a T.
MIND WUNNA BIZNESS and STOP reading my comments…wunna caaaaan stop?
harry my boy we have to stop meeting like this..have a heart harry…the dems really haunting u
… PATTY and your DEJECTED fellow LOSERS… looks as though DEM mauling last year HAUNTING wunna UP TO THIS DAY too…get use to it…it in gine dun in a hurry…that HAUNTING PROCESS got another 14 years to start wid…and I gine do my HAUNTING right here too…..I in gine na way in a hurry either..so get use to this stale turnover keeping wunna MISERABLE.
That short past minister of the condemned NATIONAL STADIUM fame was on BRASS TACKS saying that he doesn’t know about any REBUILDING PROCESS going on down in GEORGE STREET,if it has started,when it gine start or if every body gone long to HELL behind a NOTHINGARIAN and left he dey.