Solution coming for nighttime PSV transportation

Chairman of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) Roy Raphael has revealed that a solution for commuters unable to get transportation during the late hours is coming.

He told Barbados TODAY that during the latest talks between his organisation and Minister of Transport, Works and Water Resources Santia Bradshaw on the state of the sector, the concern was discussed and a fix is forthcoming.

He said the matter is currently being addressed by all stakeholders, as he insisted that the lack of public transportation at night was unacceptable.

“We would have had discussions with the minister as it relates to the fellas working late at night [after] 6 o’clock. I am really happy to report that we went on a site visit some time ago, and shortly we should be having that matter resolved,” reported Raphael who had previously called for a safe location so that PSV operators could extend work hours.

“It is a total headache for us as public service vehicle operators who would like to provide transportation for the travelling public at night. I am just wondering and I keep asking myself…how come they have over 800 public service vehicles operating or registered in Barbados and some people cannot get home after 9 p.m.? Something has to be wrong.”

The AOPT chairman added: “I am asking the technocrats to really look at it…. Again, I am calling on a feasibility study for us to explore it and find out why. Why on certain routes you can’t get a bus after 9 o’clock, either to or from? It is something that the Government really needs to look at.”    

Raphael added that while no agreement has been reached, the AOPT had expressed interest in using the area around the Golden Square Freedom Park at night as a safe pick-up spot for PSVs.

“We are looking at both sides as it relates to Freedom Park, on both sides of the road. We are [thinking of] using the Freedom Park because it’s more of a relaxing area where you can sit down and basically wait for your transportation, and the security concerns that the police would have had would be no more,” he said. (SB)