Transportation targeted for further upgrades

Commuters are being promised a rollout of initiatives to continuously improve the public transportation system in Barbados.

While keeping the details close to her chest, Director of the Transport Authority Ruth Holder told Barbados TODAY “We are working on a number of initiatives that will definitely improve the sector, but I cannot say more than that.”

However, Holder said the touted cashless system was one of the initiatives to be introduced once all the necessary hurdles were cleared.

“There are some things that we still need to work out with that. It is going to involve a software programme that we are still working on,” she said.

Last year, now Minister of Transport Works and Water Resources Ian Gooding-Edghill, while he was Chairman of the Transport Board, disclosed that an automatic fare collection system would be introduced once the island received new buses.

Over the past year, Barbados welcomed just over 30 electric buses as part of its overall rehabilitation programme for the sector. It was anticipated that another 14 buses would be imported over the next six months.

Barbados TODAY understands that an international firm has already completed major works that would allow for a cashless system to be implemented in Barbados. The system could see commuters who are travelling on Transport Board buses paying for rides through an app on their mobile device.

Holder would only say that this project was “at an advanced stage” and that the minister would provide details later.

Government has been responding to calls from the public for improved public transportation through an increase in the fleet of the Transport Board and expanding the Transport Augmentation Programme (TAP) to close to 100 participants.

Holder promised that “quite a number” of other initiatives were on the cards.

“It might be a bit premature to say exactly what we are doing. However, once they are discussed, reviewed by our board and then with our parent ministry and given approval by our minister, then we will go ahead and reveal them publicly,” she said.

(marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb)