PSV body calls for seat at talks on Mass Transit Authority

The head of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) is calling on the government to formally include privately owned public service vehicle (PSV) operators in discussions on the proposed Barbados Mass Transit Authority.

The organisation’s chairman Roy Raphael told Barbados TODAY that with planning underway to overhaul the island’s public transport system, the voices of PSV owners must not be left out.

“The PSVs will have to be included,” he said. “Because we move more people than the Transport Board.”

“If you look at mass transit, it’s supposed to regulate both the Transport Board and the PSVs. So we have to be included.”

Raphael said PSV operators want to be engaged before any final decisions are made.

“We want to be included early in discussions . . . . Right now, we are not in full discussions, we’re hearing about it. But what we want to do, before any recommendation, we want to be part of the discussion going forward,” he added.

Earlier this month, Minister of Transport and Works Santia Bradshaw announced the establishment of a Mass Transit Authority before the end of the year to oversee the island’s public transport system. It will  merge the State-owned Transport Board and the Transport Authority.

Bradshaw also disclosed that the authority would oversee major upgrades to the River Bus Terminal.

Raphael recommended that any new terminal built should include on-site medical personnel, such as a nurse, to allow drivers to get basic health checks like blood pressure monitoring.

He said this would help ensure that operators were not dehydrated or overly fatigued, especially those who may have had little rest before starting their shifts.

“We are highly recommending that the minister should look at that,” the AOPT chairman said.

He further suggested features like a recreation space and charging ports for electric vehicles. The AOPT, he added, stands ready to engage once the government is prepared to meet.

“Once they are ready for us, we are ready to talk, because there are some questions that we need to ask as related to the Mass Transit Authority,” Raphael said. (LG)