Decision reversed

Two dozen suspension letters originally issued by the Transport Authority to public service vehicle (PSV) permit holders have been withdrawn.

The decision to rescind the letters came following discussions with stakeholders in the industry.

Last week chairman of the authority Ian Estwick revealed that two PSV permits which had been obtained illegally had been revoked and 14 permits had been suspended for a number of infractions.

The suspension was to run from November 1 to 30.

When contacted Estwick declined to comment, but chairman of the Association of Public Transport Operators (APTO) Kenneth Best told Barbados TODAY there had been a change of heart by the authority.

Best said he was not sure how many infractions had been committed by the guilty parties, but he noted that every case had been judged on its own merit.

The Transport Authority has withdrawn two dozen suspension letters given to PSV permit holders. Inset, APTO chairman Kenneth Best.

“The Transport Authority used the power provided to them under the Act and suspended the permits for a month. There were discussions among all of the players in the industry and the Transport Authority and it was agreed that those suspension letters would be withdrawn and instead people would be given a warning,” he said.

However, Best, an attorney-at-law, said going forward he would prefer to see the PSV drivers who commit the infractions being punished first.

He said he believed owners should only be punished if it was proven they neglected to reprimand those guilty parties.

“One recognizes that the owner in some circumstances will be disadvantaged because he gave someone his vehicle, asked them to conform to the law and they breached it.

“But within the Road Traffic Act as well as the Transport Authority Act, the driver can be dealt with and I believe that should be the way going forward. Start with the person who commits the offence first and if they don’t change then you can deal with them, or if the owners neglect to say who was the driver at a particular time then they cannot complain of any infractions because it is their responsibility to know who is driving their vehicles and whose hands they put their vehicles in,” Best, a former politician said.

To its credit, Best said the authority had communicated with owners through a series of meetings.

He also used the opportunity to plead with PSV operators not to continue to break the law.

“What I would want to see going forward is that the drivers conform to the Road Traffic Act and regulations, as well as the Transport Authority Act and avoid anything of this sort because we need to operate within the ambit of the law,” he said.

Public relations officer for the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) Mark Haynes told Barbados TODAY he was unaware of the development and therefore was not in a position to comment.
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb