Taxi metering proposals under consideration

Two proposals for a local taxi metering system that would work similarly to Uber and Lyft, are being reviewed by officials and an announcement on implementation is expected “shortly”.

Word of this has come from Minister of Transport, Works and Water Resources Santia Bradshaw who indicated that once the system was rolled out, the long-awaited breathalyser testing should follow.

“The two proposals are being considered. The board was only able to meet last week and so they are in the process of considering the two proposals that were on the table. So, we should be able to make an announcement on that shortly,” she told a press conference on Friday at the Barbados Water Authority (BWA).

Bradshaw was speaking with members of the media following a lengthy meeting with representative bodies of the public service vehicle (PSV) and taxi sector.

She said the introduction of the metering system will “hopefully help to improve the operations of the taxi operators generally, and especially address the issue of bungling of persons trying to operate only within the city centre areas”. 

Bradshaw said the metering system would operate like the popular Uber and Lyft platforms but tailored for the local market.

“If you are . . . at the Barbados Water Authority, for instance, and you want to be able to go to town, you are able to use the GPS to identity the cost of that fare and call a taxi to be able to pick you up,” the Transport Minister explained.

She noted that once the system is in place, education and a change in mindset among sector operators will be required.

“The sector is well aware that technology is now really what is driving public transportation and we recognise that everybody is going to have to be a little bit more flexible in terms of their acceptance of those new changes,” Bradshaw said.

“These are things we dont believe are out of the reach of Barbadians. I think it is something that has to be encouraged and we recognise it is a culture shift but it is one that I think is necessary if we are to keep pace with what is happening globally as well,” she added. (MM)