Coach owners mull ferrying commuters

With no tourists to drive their businesses, some coach owners have now said they may very well accept Government’s offer for them to join the public transport system.

But for it to be a feasible option, the contract would have to make “financial sense”, said one owner.

With public service vehicles and Transport Board buses only allowed to carry 60 per cent capacity for effective social distancing, Prime Minister Mia Mottley recently announced that private coaches might have to help move commuters.

With Ross University temporarily closed, Mottley said the medical school’s coaches could be used, among others.

Scott Davis, owner of Williams Tours Barbados, acknowledged the offer was not ideal, but he said that with few options available, coaches might have to take advantage of the offer.

He told Barbados TODAY: “There is not necessarily a great excitement to integrate because of the class of vehicle.

“We have to try and create the most luxury vehicle and so to convert to that style… but I believe there are many who are going to be in the situation where that will be an ultimate game-changer for them.

“Take, for example, all the Ross transportation, they don’t have any Ross students to carry around anymore and I don’t know if Government is still having to honour that contract, so I believe there will be people who will definitely fill that void who are doing that type of transportation already.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic having practically wiped out the tourist industry for the near future, Davis said he may have to consider accepting the Government’s offer.

He said: “As the news spread about the future it’s not looking so bright so I might be willing to come on board. I’ve gone from income to zero income and so it is definitely something I would need to consider.

“I believe we all will be thinking about it for sure, so we might seem reluctant now but a couple more days without a dollar a lot of us might be coming around.”

Davis recalled that several months ago, Minister of Transport  Dr William Duguid spoke to them regarding a similar initiative.

He said at the time several concerns had been raised, including the basis on how routes would be assigned.

General manager of Sun Tours Barbados Eva Marshall declined to comment, but another owner who asked to remain anonymous told Barbados TODAY the offer would have to be financially beneficial for him to consider.

He said while he did not want to appear selfish, the bottom line was critical.

He said: “This is something which is new and probably something we would have never contemplated before COVID-19. We are accustomed to setting our own rates so for us to operate in this fashion is a bit strange.

“I’m not against having a discussion but at the end of the day it has to make financial sense for me as a business owner. It makes no sense having my vehicles working and having to service them if the money isn’t decent.

“I think Government would have to offer us some form of concession maybe on diesel or something as well, because the majority of private coaches operate with air condition.”

He said the loss of the tourist industry would be very hard on private coaches, as in some instances tourists accounted for 85 per cent of business.
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb