#BTEditorial – Unjustifiable call for bus fare hike

In the face of the latest calls by privately owned public service vehicle operators that yet another bus fare increase should be considered, it is time to scrutinise what lies behind the industry’s alleged near collapse.

Four years after securing an unprecedented 75 per cent rise in bus fares, the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) is now pressuring the Mia Mottley administration to either raise fares or subsidise the industry, citing escalating operating costs as the primary threat to their business viability.

We believe it is the blame game between PSV owners and the insurance industry that obscures the real issue at hand. The AOPT claims an impending insurance rate hike is pushing operators to the brink. In contrast, the General Insurance Association of Barbados (GIAB), points the finger at the uncontrolled behaviour of PSV drivers, asserting that their actions are the driving force behind increased accident claims and rising insurance rates.

The insurance industry’s assertion aligns with the one thing on which the spokesmen of both the insurers and the PSVs agree: there must be greater discipline among PSV operators. The more accidents caused by drivers, the higher the insurance premiums become. It is that simple.

Both AOPT chair Roy Raphael and GIAB’s president Randy Graham support a merit-based system for PSV drivers, advocating for special qualifications and licences in a bid to weed out bad apples among public service vehicle drivers.

Raphael’s claim that insurance companies need better regulation by the Financial Services Commission (FSC) is a distraction from the core issue. The focus should be on curbing the reckless behaviour of some PSV drivers, as rightly emphasised by the insurance industry. The suggestion of a merit-based system could serve as a proactive solution to stop the rot in the industry that is leading to the threat of rising insurance rates.

The AOPT’s call for an increase in bus fares, or government subsidies, overlooks the larger issue of irresponsible driving. Better to address the behaviour of individual drivers rather than burdening the public with yet another fare hike. PSV owners must take responsibility for the actions of their drivers and work towards implementing the suggested merit points system.

The AOPT’s assertion that insurance companies are jeopardising their businesses is further contradicted by the GIAB’s clarification that there is no across-the-board increase in insurance premiums for PSVs. It seems clear to us that insurance companies would be willing to work with the sector to eliminate bad drivers; after all, a mere handful of firms are willing to underwrite PSVs. Lower risk means lower premiums but more competition for insurers.

Before entertaining the notion of another bus fare increase that imposes additional hardship on workers who need to take several buses a day to commute between home and jobs, the PSV sector must prioritise responsible behaviour among its drivers. A merit-based system and enhanced driver control, as suggested by the insurance industry, can pave the way for a sustainable and accountable public service vehicle sector. 

But we are also convinced that there is a need for innovation in route planning that could open up new lucrative routes crisscrossing the nation, rather than the ‘Bridgetown-or-bust’ route system where all routes lead to the city of a nation where Barbadians move increasingly in diverse ways to home, work, school and leisure.

We certainly support a functioning mass transit authority that regulates private and public buses. We look forward to an end to minibuses and route taxis that are unsafe at any speed. We call for an end to greed that drives PSVs to hog highways, block traffic, hassle passengers and ignore other road users, alternating between snail’s pace fare-picking and speeding.

And we would embrace a vision of a PSV industry that abandons the cramped 12-seater vans for larger-capacity vehicles. To date, the minibus industry still operates a single electric bus. 

For the massive increase in bus fares nearly five years ago, what have  commuters gained but disorder and disrespect from deviant drivers? For once, we need a Barbadian private sector organisation that is committed to internal reforms and innovations that address the root cause of problems. It is time for the AOPT to be that organisation.