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AOPT urges members to pay NIS and sign up for  life insurance 

by Marlon Madden
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Public service vehicle (PSV) drivers and conductors are being encouraged to pay their contributions to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) so that they can reap the benefits offered by the social security protection scheme. At the same time, officials of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) are calling on PSV operators to take the issue of life insurance seriously. The calls came in light of the recent attempted robbery of PSV operator Marlon Tempro, who was held at gunpoint last Monday night while working. Speaking as a member of the panel on the Sunday edition of the Down to Brasstacks radio call-in programme to discuss challenges facing the PSV industry, Chairman of the AOPT Roy Raphael said he was satisfied that owners of PSVs were paying their NIS. However, he said the same could not be said for drivers and conductors, as he urged them to take the matter seriously. “For the owners, they have to pay national insurance in order for them to get the tax clearance [certificate] to pay for their vehicle [but] we have started talking with the national insurance to work with us so that we can work with our members to encourage them to pay their national insurance,” he said. He explained that it was difficult for owners of the vehicles to pay the NIS for their driver and conductor since they were considered self-employed. “I think the issue that we need to get sorted out very shortly is the fact that we have drivers who just drive for two or three months and move on to another owner each time. If we have a driver that drives for let’s say a year, two years or three years, it would make it easier for the owner to pay national insurance for him. “So in that way, I think it is being encouraged that those drivers and conductors who operate that kind of way should see themselves as self-employed persons. So we want to make an appeal to the drivers and conductors out there to pay their national insurance if they are not doing so,” said Raphael. He disclosed that the AOPT was “working very closely” with the American University College of Barbados to ensure that operators who want to have medical check-ups can get that done. Adding that AOPT members have started to benefit from that alliance, Raphael said in light of how PSV operators work, the association would also be offering some pop-up medical sessions to give members the opportunity to keep their health in check. [caption id="attachment_348952" align="alignnone" width="650"] Craig Banfield, Director of Complaints and Legal Affairs with the AOPT.[/caption] Craig Banfield, Director of Complaints and Legal Affairs with the AOPT, also urged PSV drivers and conductors across the island to pay their NIS. “I too am a little bit concerned because when you look at the health issues and when we get older we are going to be calling for different health reasons. And NIS, that I think is something that all workers need to be paying,” he said. He agreed that while it was difficult for the owners to pay the NIS for the drivers and conductors, the AOPT was keen on working out a way for drivers and conductors who move from one owner to another in a short space of time to still get protection under the NIS. “We have to talk to the NIS department to see if there are ways and means that in the event drivers move from one vehicle to the next that they don’t lose anything, they are recorded correctly in the NIS and the NIS would continue to be collected and as time goes by they would benefit as they [reach retirement]. I find a lot of the young operators that are now coming into the industry are not really too concerned with that,” said Banfield. In relation to obtaining insurance coverage, Banfield disclosed that following the death of one of their colleagues in 2021, the AOPT approached an insurance broker on the matter. “So we have put in life insurance as well as accident and disability insurance for some of our members,” he said. He explained that the accident and disability insurance would provide income for the insured in the event they were unable to work due to an accident or disability. In the event of the death of the insured, this policy, he said, would also reduce the burden left on those behind since it provides a payout. Banfield said the response of AOPT members has been good so far, but he urged all operators across the PSV industry to take the issue of insurance more seriously.  “We find that a lot of our members now are coming and taking out this insurance,” he said. “So I am really appealing to those public service vehicle operators to actually think about it because I am concerned this violence seems to be getting worse and we have to look out for each other as we move forward,” said Banfield. (marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb)]]>

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