PSV operators want some of their other challenges tackled in tandem with a crackdown on bad behaviour

By Shamar Blunt

Some members of the public service vehicle (PSV) fraternity are pleading with government to take a holistic approach to tackling the bad behaviour among some operators in the industry.
A day after PSV workers came under severe criticism in the Parliament of Barbados for their role in the unruly behaviour associated with that part of the transportation sector, the operators acknowledged that there are some “bad apples” among them but the majority are “good”.
They want the authorities to pay some attention to the other challenges they face as they ply their various routes.
“I would not sit down and tell you that we don’t have bad apples,” said Marson Holder on Wednesday. “On the other hand every entity has bad apples. All I want them to do is to be sensitive to the situation.”
Holder, who operates the Wanstead route, said that while he agrees that some difficult operators needed to be weeded out of the sector, bigger challenges still remain that often influence the behaviours of these workers.
“The government is going to legislate what they have to legislate, but there are a lot of other challenges. I want them to look at the fact that for years a lot of these vans have been on the road. We don’t get duty-free, we don’t get concessions where nothing at all is concerned… Everything pertaining to these [vehicles] is hard cash. It is not easy.”
When a team from Barbados TODAY visited Cheapside terminal on Wednesday to get the operators’ feedback on the renewed call for greater discipline in the sector, many of the workers expressed their support for authorities looking to crack down on problematic operators.
Brian Jackman, another operator with over 30 years’ experience, said that though the majority of the sector was filled with responsible workers, many bad ones have unfortunately been left alone for years to act as they please.
“Yes there are some bad apples out here that would cause you to have to put certain things in place, but you can’t bunch all of them under the same house. There are a lot of good ones out here… When you see the bad ones, men does try to get things to happen to deal with bad ones, but the bad ones still do their thing. What can you do?”
He also added : “As far as I am concerned the [authorities] were too light handed, because things that I does see the bad ones do, I don’t see nothing happen to them. I does [ask] myself ‘dem immune to getting caught?’, cause they just do things and nothing don’t happen.”
The renewed discussion on PSVs came with the new Transport Authority (Amendment Bill) which was brought before Parliament on Tuesday by Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Santia Bradshaw. The amendment seeks to strengthen the oversight powers of the Transport Authority, and rein in the disruptive and delinquent behaviour among some operators.
Jackman said he had taken a no-nonsense approach in the operation of his vehicle, especially as it relates to school children who the parliamentarians said are influenced by loud music and other behaviours.
“To tell you the truth I don’t have disrespectful school children in my van… As you want to behave bad, I does have a word with you. If you can’t behave better, I does let you get out and catch something else. You cannot behave bad in no van I driving. I do not like school children who are disrespectful.”
Meanwhile another operator, who requested anonymity, said that there was a lot of misconception within the sector, and this is influenced sometimes by other factors including the plying of certain routes by “pirate vans”, those privately licensed with pickup and setdown passengers.
“When you see a ZR driving fast that don’t necessarily mean that he is racing. He may be coming forward to keep in front of the pirate man.”
He also added that the heavy cost often carried by the owners and some operators have also contributed to the ‘dragging’ on routes in order to get as many commuters as they can.
“When you have to go and pay $50,000 for a van… when you come out here now, you can’t get [enough] passengers over year, to [get back] that $50,000.”
shamarblunt@barbadostoday.bb