Public transport reliability hits snags amid fleet upgrades

Delays in the rollout of charging infrastructure and a still-limited electric fleet are hampering the Transport Board’s efforts to deliver more reliable public transport, a senior official has admitted—even as the government steps up investment in electric buses and support systems.

Nonetheless, the 70-year-old State-owned bus company is pressing ahead with a government-backed master plan aimed at transforming the country’s ageing public transport network through a sustained electric fleet renewal programme and strategic investment in critical support infrastructure.

In an exclusive interview with Barbados TODAY on Thursday, Chief Operations Officer Lynda Holder revealed that a comprehensive strategy has been in motion since 2020 to rebuild and expand the national fleet, marking a pivotal turning point after a 14-year gap since new buses were last acquired.

“We are making progress in building out our fleet, but the system is still under pressure,” Holder acknowledged, noting that she understood the public expected immediate relief when the new buses started to arrive, but that was not the case.

“We continue to ask the public for patience as we modernise, and we remain committed to transparency and engagement as we move forward.”

Holder did not disclose a specific target for the number of buses the Transport Board aims to deploy within a defined timeframe, but gave the assurance that those figures would be shared publicly once internal consultations are complete.

She emphasised that the government is committing millions of dollars—not only for acquiring buses but also upgrading the essential infrastructure required to support the electric fleet and improve overall service delivery.

“We’re going to constantly build on our fleet, as long as the fleet replacement programme continues. Before 2020, the last buses brought in were diesel buses in 2006. The average life of a bus is meant to be ten years, so anything on the road past that is already stretching.”

Over the last five years, the Transport Board received 59 electric buses, purchased primarily through an initial $22.5 million investment. A further 30 buses were added to the fleet in April, bringing the number of electric buses to 89. Only ten diesel buses remain operational, many of which are used sparingly due to age and the difficulty of sourcing replacement parts, Holder revealed.

Yet the expansion has not been without challenges. Concerns emerged regarding the performance of the newer buses—particularly their ability to regenerate energy and charge effectively—claims which Holder firmly dismissed as misinformation.

“All of the buses come with the ability to regenerate. It’s called regenerative braking, and that is how the bus is actually driven,” she explained.

According to Holder, confusion appears to stem from the change in charging technology between older and newer buses—not a difference in capability. The first 59 buses were fitted with AC (alternating current) charging systems, which required the buses themselves to convert that energy into DC (direct current) before storing it in the battery. The newer models now use DC chargers, which bypass that conversion step and deliver energy directly to the battery.

“The result is faster, more efficient charging. It’s updated technology,” Holder said. “You require higher levels of electricity to power the new system—not because the buses are faulty, but because they are more advanced.”

But global supply chain disruptions have delayed the delivery of the high-capacity electrical equipment needed to support this advanced charging system. As a result, the board has had to temporarily rely on industrial generators to charge the new buses.

“We have all the infrastructure in place. We’re just waiting for the particular type of equipment to land so we can connect them,” she said. “It is not a negative thing. Generators are a temporary measure. Once the equipment comes in, the generators will be phased out.”

The upgraded electrical systems—being installed in partnership with the Government Electrical Engineering Department and Light & Power—are expected to arrive on the island by the end of August. Additional DC charging stations at the Granville Williams Bus Terminal and the Mangrove depot are also expected to be fully operational by November.

In a ministerial statement in Parliament on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Works Santia Bradshaw announced that 35 more electric buses are currently being manufactured and are due to arrive in December.

According to Holder, these incoming buses feature several technical upgrades based on feedback from operators and commuters.

“They’re actually an improvement over the very first set,” she explained. “One of them is the charging system . . . another is the frame, which is now steel instead of aluminium. We also made lighting improvements and adapted the internal alert system for passengers with hearing impairments.”

Nonetheless, the fleet remains under considerable strain. Six buses from the original batch were damaged in accidents, reducing the number from 59 to 53. And although there are currently 83 active electric buses, Holder confirmed that this remains insufficient to service the island’s 77 routes, especially when school transportation takes priority.

“Once school is in, buses go to school children as the priority first,” she said. “The expectation from the public was that service would improve—and it has—but we must remember we’re still dealing with older buses that are now falling out.”

Compounding the issue are operational challenges in the island’s more remote or rugged areas. Holder noted that narrow roads, steep inclines, and ongoing infrastructure works complicate deployment, especially for wider electric buses, prompting the Transport Board to introduce shuttle systems in some districts as an interim measure.

While charging infrastructure is already in place in Speightstown, Holder said the Transport Board has opted to limit the deployment of newer electric buses in the north until operational nuances are better understood.

“We did not want a situation where new technology is in areas where we’re still learning the nuances,” she said. “But we’ve always had chargers in Speightstown and have now deployed more buses there.”

As it relates to cost, Holder confirmed that each electric bus carries a price tag of approximately $650 000, excluding shipping, customs, and the cost of related infrastructure upgrades.

The 35 buses arriving in December will be government-funded, she confirmed, as part of the ongoing commitment to replace and expand the fleet gradually rather than in one massive purchase. This staggered approach, she noted, ensures that not all buses require licensing and inspection at the same time—a logistical issue that could overwhelm maintenance capacity.

While unable to provide a definitive target for the size of the future fleet, Holder indicated that internal discussions are underway and said the public would be updated once those plans are finalised. 

sheriabrathwaithe@barbadostoday.bb