PSV owners urge faster talks on mass transit plans

Public service vehicle (PSV) owners on Tuesday pressed the government to fast-track consultations on its proposed mass transit system, warning that a rushed rollout could leave the private transit operators unprepared and financially exposed.

The plan involves creating a new Mass Transit Authority by merging the state-owned Transport Board with the Transport Authority, with a board expected to be appointed by the end of this year.

The plan also includes major upgrades to the River Bus Terminal and the expansion of the electric bus fleet. The government is also considering dedicated school bus services and redesigning bus routes nationwide, in a bid to improve efficiency and service.

But the Chairman of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT), Roy Raphael, told Barbados TODAY that PSV operators need to meet with the administration sooner rather than later, so they would have sufficient time to prepare and not be “jumped” by an early introduction of the system.

He said: “There is some delay in coming to us, for us to start discussions. I think that is where we are seeing it happening, because this is almost two years we have been hearing about a mass transit. They promised to meet, and we have not seen any indication… so what the members of the association would want is for their minds to be made comfortable. What we are saying is that they should at least start some discussion for preparing us for the bigger discussion on the mass transit.

“For example, they don’t have to reveal everything. They could say, ‘well, this is the mass transit, this is what we proposed to do, here is where we proposed to go, we leave that information with you, and then we could meet with you at some other time; and see how we can bring our discussion together to make this happen.’”

Raphael added: “But if you are called suddenly to a meeting tomorrow and say the ministry want to have this mass transit by the first of January, it is going to put us in a bind… because, obviously, we have to study it; and studying it means we have to have consultants to assist us and guide us. And consultants also mean money.”

The AOPT has already identified who it will be working with, including a transport expert, an accountant, and someone specialising in route rationalisation, Raphael continued.

“These consultants will advise us, so that the government would not get the better of us. I am not saying that our people are not capable of doing it. I am saying that they are. But sometimes you have independent persons who can guide the discussion and guide us as to how we could proceed. We want to have the discussion with the ministry as to what is a mass transit. Many of our members do not understand it, and the impact would be hard on them.”

He continued: “My business as president of an association is to ensure that nothing is jumped upon us. If it is a situation where, for example, CBC and the Government Information Service and all such entities come together, fine. So, in that regard, as state enterprises, the government would only have to have discussions among them and the union.”

“But for us as part of the state enterprises, we have major players within the SOEs because you are talking about the Transport Board and the Transport Authority which controls the government-private entities. The Transport Authority doesn’t make decisions for us, that is why we have an association. They still have to consult with us before they do certain things.”

Raphael stressed: “That is why it is important that where government is transitioning between the Transport Board and the Transport Authority, it will have an impact on us as a private association. And that is why I think we should be discussing this thing sooner, rather than later.”

(EJ)