‘Dismal returns’ . . . Low PSV ridership  concerns, AOPT

With Christmas just four days away, minibus and ZR operators are complaining that they are not feeling the financial spin-off that usually accompanies the Yuletide season.

This is according to chairman of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) Roy Raphael who told Barbados TODAY that ridership is at worrying low levels.

“I am not sure what could have caused this but it is a fact that we are not seeing the type of numbers of persons riding the bus that we are accustomed to seeing at this time of the year. I don’t know if it’s a case of spending power but it seems that persons are not willing to make the trip to come to town. This is very worrying to us because we were hoping to make up for the hard times earlier this year,” said Raphael.

The AOPT head, explained that his organisation, which also represents taxis, is receiving reports of dismal returns from those members.

“The taxis would usually get a lot of the spin off around this time as well because persons would have their shopping to take home. And will opt to take a taxi instead of trying to get on a minibus with all of that load. We are not seeing that this time around and the guys are hoping and praying that things pick up over the weekend,” he said.

He contended that this trend does not augur well for the business community this season, as it means Bridgetown might not see the type of foot traffic as years gone by.

“We are seeing quite a bit of the vehicle congestion but we are not seeing the streets filled with persons. These are the people that would normally come to town on the minibuses and ZRs. We are hoping that given the fact that Government workers were paid on Thursday, more people will start coming into Bridgetown over the weekend,” said Raphael, who pointed out that it was time for the sector to get more creative.

“It is true that we offer a service but sometimes you have to show persons how they can better utilize the service. Next year we have to start looking into organising a park and ride service, which would clear up the vehicle congestion without compromising the foot traffic for The City,” he explained.

Raphael added, “It has been a rough year for Barbadians with bus fare increasing from $2 to $3.50 but we need to show persons that they can get value for their money. We have to seriously work on our customer service, and we have to get creative with the products that we offer. Some years ago the Transport Board used to do scenic rides and I believe that this is something that we can do within the private sector as well.”

On Thursday Barbados TODAY visited taxi operators in The City, who painted a picture of a sector in decline, noting that returns were slow from both tourist and locals. Operators contended that business had fallen due to a range of factors including overcrowding in the sector.
colvillemounsey@barbadostoday.bb