Govt to engage private transport operators over hurricane planning concerns

Government has pledged to directly engage private transport operators in the hurricane preparedness framework, following complaints that key stakeholders were excluded from recent high-level discussions, raising concerns about coordination during emergencies.

Home Affairs Minister Gregory Nicholls gave this assurance after Chairman of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT), Roy Raphael, told Barbados TODAY that operators had been excluded from a recent government meeting on hurricane readiness.

Nicholls explained that the recent Emergency Management Advisory Council meeting brought together the prime minister, senior government officials and committee heads responsible for disaster preparedness, to ensure emergency management plans and protocols were in place for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.

“There is a transportation committee, road clearing committee, and a number of committees that are coordinated through the Ministry of Transport and Works, so that was basically the opportunity of those committees to report to the emergency management advisory council and to the senior public officers within government to make sure that the country is ready, so this is not, it wasn’t a session for stakeholder involvement.”

The minister rejected suggestions that private transport operators had been deliberately excluded.

“While the private sector transport owners are key and important, we will meet with them, of course, to ensure that they have developed their own protocols, but at the same time they have to operate within a national emergency management framework, because we wouldn’t want them out there on their own, willy nilly, just operating without following established protocols.”

He added: “The national emergency plan will kick to high gear once there is a watch or warning issue to ensure that the essential personnel are the last people on the road and that they get home safely…we will have those stakeholder discussions to make sure that they’re included, but I want to assure them that it was not a snub.”

Nicholls also gave the assurance that PSV operators would have the opportunity to meet with officials from the Ministry of Transport and Works, regarding the emergency management framework.

Raphael, however, said the AOPT remains concerned that it often receives information secondhand through the Transport Board, despite representing hundreds of vehicles operating across the island.

He argued that the lack of direct communication creates confusion during emergencies and hampers efforts to mobilise drivers and vehicles when severe weather threatens Barbados.

“We don’t want people to call us at the last minute. We want to be able to hear it at the same time as the Transport Board so that we can coordinate our efforts together.”

Raphael said communication gaps in the past had resulted in some commuters being left stranded as weather conditions deteriorated.

The alliance is now seeking direct inclusion in emergency planning discussions before the hurricane season intensifies.

(LG)