Constitution River Terminal new home for vans operating on Probyn Street

The Constitution River Terminal (CRT) is about to get much more congested.

After operating from adjacent to the Barbados Fire Service on Probyn Street for over 30 years, scores of public service vehicles (PSVs) will soon be permanently relocated to the CRT.

In an interview with Barbados TODAY, Acting Director of the Transport Authority Maria Boyce confirmed that the move was set to take place on January 5.

The relocation comes at a time when the old National Insurance Building on Fairchild Street, as well as the Fire Station and the old Fairchild Street Market are earmarked to be demolished.

PSV owners have already begun to receive letters informing them of the relocation.

And while concerns have been raised by both PSV owners and operators about a lack of space at the CRT to accommodate the additional PSVs, Boyce revealed that renovations were taking place to the terminal to facilitate the additional traffic.

“We have made some modifications in order to accommodate those units. The move is scheduled for January 5 and we are doing everything to ensure that the transition is as smooth as we can make it.

“The move is intended to be a permanent one,” Boyce added.     

While the authority’s chairman Ian Estwick told Barbados TODAY he was overseas and directed the newspaper to the Acting Director, he offered a brief comment saying, “This has to happen because they cannot remain there.”

But both chairman of the Association of Public Transport Operators (APTO) Kenneth Kenny Best and Communications and Marketing Officer of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) Mark Haynes – the two main bodies which represent PSV operators and owners – said they had received no official correspondence from the Transport Authority about the planned move.

Best admitted that while there had been some discussions in the past about moving those PSVs to the CRT, he was not aware a final decision had been made.

He said he did have some concerns about where those vehicles would go in the CRT.

Meanwhile, Haynes said he too was awaiting official word from the authority.

“We haven’t heard back anything officially from them so we are still waiting,” he said.

However, some PSV operators who ply their trade from The City terminal are up in arms against the proposed move.

One driver complained to Barbados TODAY that the facility was already congested.

“Where are they going to put these other PSVs? The Transport Authority has implemented a five-minute rule because they want to give all of the PSVs an opportunity to use the loading bays. Now that there are more vehicles in the CRT how is that going to work?” he questioned.

Another driver said it was “madness” to “pack more vehicles” into the terminal.

He said another venue should have been explored to house those PSVs which are being moved.

“There simply isn’t enough space for all of these vehicles, plain and simple. There isn’t even enough space for the vehicles that are there now so I don’t know how they expect this will work,” the irate veteran driver said.
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb