More inspectors coming to keep PSV operators in check

The Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Water Resources says it will be taking a number of measures to bring a greater level of discipline to the public service vehicle (PSV) sector within the coming year.

During the Estimates Debate in the House of Assembly on Monday, Member of Parliament for St Thomas, Cynthia Forde expressed concern about the behaviour of some PSV drivers, particularly those who ply the Jackson and Warrens route.

She complained that they often go off route and block the entrances to the Eunice Gibson Polyclinic and the Lodge Terrace neighbourhood on a daily basis.

“It is only a matter of time before someone loses their lives or gets seriously injured based on the conduct of these drivers,” Forde said.

“I realise that I am not seeing many inspectors from the Ministry of Transport out on the road these days, and these drivers – not so much the yellow buses but the ZR drivers – continue to operate in a disorderly fashion. How is Government training them?

“I recognise that they are providing a service to people, but they are going off route, and just the other day I had to speak to the driver of a Jackson ZR van who was in Vault Road where I live blowing his horn and making lots of noise, driving on the wrong side of the road and so on. I was also driving from Holetown to Black Rock recently and it took me a lot longer than usual because of minibuses dragging, that is, driving slowly looking for passengers along that stretch of Highway One. Also, every day outside the Eunice Gibson Polyclinic and the entrance to Lodge Terrace, there are three or four ZR vans blocking the entrance, and given the high number of people that traverse this area every day, what are the plans to make it safer?” Forde questioned.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Works Santia Bradshaw said Cabinet approved regulations last year for the Transport Authority, but those will be examined again after the Estimates “so that they will have the right to enforce them”.

“These rules will speak not only to driver requirements, but also those of owners. We are also working on a driver training programme in association with the Barbados Community College, which will be geared towards established drivers as well as new people coming into the sector, and we are currently discussing this with stakeholders,” she said.

On the question of inspectors, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mark Cummins, acknowledged that the number had fallen off in the last four years, but reassured Forde that was about to change.

“We had five inspectors before, but within the last four years, three of them retired. However, just two weeks ago, a circular came out from People Resourcing and Compliance seeking applications for Transport Inspectors, so we should be back up to five again within the next financial year,” he said. (DH)