AOPT calls on TAP operators to put brakes on charging elderly commuters

Barbados TODAY. “You cannot charge senior citizens when they enter the buses because they are already being paid for by the Government.” Last week, Prime Minister Mia Mottle chastised TAP operators for the practice after it was raised at the St George Speaks meeting at St George Secondary School. “That is wickedness on the part of people, and I will ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Works [Santia Bradshaw] to get the Transport Board to have a meeting with all of the TAP holders because I know that you come to the Ministry of Finance for money to pay them. They are paid for school children and for the elderly and for the police…,” she said. “You cannot take advantage, particularly of senior citizens, and make them pay when you are going to also be able to claim against the Government for that particular senior citizen. That would be double pay; it can’t work, not ‘bout hay!” Raphael, who said the issue was brought to the AOPT’s attention recently, agreed with Mottley that such behaviour should not be tolerated. He said there were also other concerns about the behaviour of TAP operators and suggested they needed training. “We also had reports of some operators behaving [rudely] towards senior citizens [so] we have asked our operators to be more amenable and friendlier towards the senior citizens. What we suggest is that the Government should do a training programme for all TAP operators so that they understand the dos and don’ts,” Raphael said. During the St George Speaks meeting, Bradshaw said that the Government was up-to-date with its payments to public service vehicle owners attached to the TAP programme, after numerous delays over the past several months. Though Raphael expressed gratitude that the situation had improved, he said the TAP initiative has been plagued by various problems, including a lack of route optimisation and payment concerns. “I think the TAP programme needs to be [reworked]…. I believe the time has come for the Government to sit with us, [and] have a discussion about the way forward,” the AOPT boss said. (SB)]]>