Transport Board under fire as limited fleet ‘fails’ St Andrew

The Transport Board is facing mounting criticism of an inadequate bus fleet that is failing to meet the island’s transport needs in rural areas such as St Andrew. 

Residents have expressed to Prime Minister Mia Mottley, their Member of Parliament Dr Rommel Springer and civil servants their growing frustration with severe service disruptions and have demanded urgent action from both the Transport Board and the government.

At the St Andrew Speaks town hall meeting held at the Alleyne School in Belleplaine, it emerged that the core issue is the Transport Board’s undersized fleet, which is unable to provide the required level of service across Barbados. This problem is exacerbated by operational challenges, including mechanical failures and logistical difficulties.

Marie Lowe, a resident of Lakes, St Andrew shared her daily struggles with the unreliable bus service. “I went to the hospital. I paid a taxi $15 to come and take me down [to the Princess Alice] bus stand to catch a 1:30 p.m., bus. I get a bus at 4:30 p.m. and get home after 6 o’clock. You think that’s right? To catch a 1:30 bus to get home,” she told the PM.

The pensioner recounted numerous instances of waiting for hours in the bus terminal under harsh conditions. “The next day, I went [in the terminal], and I sit down there like I begging for salt, waiting for two hours and a half before I get a Shorey Village bus. They don’t like to send no bus to the Shorey Village, you hear what I tell you? They don’t like to send none.”

Transport Board Chief Executive Officer Fabian Wharton candidly acknowledged the fleet’s limitations.

 “The reality of the situation is that the fleet is not big enough in order to maintain the types of service levels that we would like to see,” he said. Wharton described inheriting a dire situation with a largely out-of-commission diesel-powered fleet when he assumed leadership.

The government’s investment in 59 new electric buses has not fully resolved the issue. 

“Even at 59 buses with the subsidisation of the TAP-Transport Augmentation Programme [where the board allows some privately owned buses to work under its guidance and management], which is another 30, 40 per day, because they are 102 strong. But any given day, you’re looking at maybe 40 of them on the road because they too are having challenges getting parts,” Wharton explained.

The highly computerised electric buses face their own operational challenges. 

“The electric buses have what we call faults. They’re highly computerised. If a fault comes up, to protect the $700 000 investment that the government has made with each bus, the driver will not move that bus,” Wharton said.

St Andrew MP Dr Springer stopped short accusing the state bus company of outright mismanagement.

“Sometimes it may very well be human folly, and I think that is what most people in St Andrew believe—that it is human folly that’s resulted in people in this part of Barbados suffering for so long, and that is what we have to fix,” he declared.

Prime Minister Mottley acknowledged the severity of the situation and outlined the government’s efforts to improve public transport.

“We spent almost $45 million on the electric buses alone. We then turned around and spent close to $15 million more on the powertrain buses, which is basically putting in new engines into the old diesel,” she said.

But Mottley also highlighted ongoing challenges in bringing additional buses to the island. 

“We ordered more buses, but the reality is that there are supply chain issues. The buses are built, but getting them shipped to Barbados is the next hurdle,” she explained, urging patience as the government works through these logistical challenges.

With the limited fleet, the Transport Board boss explained that it has had to prioritise certain routes, with schools and rural districts taking precedence.

“The board has been forced to prioritise the way it delivers service. The number one priority is schools. Number two priority is rural Barbados and all routes where there’s no other forms of public service vehicles (PSV) on that route,” Wharton explained. But even with these priorities, service in rural areas remains inconsistent and unreliable, the bus company boss acknowledged.

The problem is particularly acute for longer rural routes like those in St Andrew. 

“The time it takes between Bridgetown and St Andrew or anywhere on that route to fix that problem and replace the unit is also extensive when compared to other routes,” Wharton added, highlighting the difficulties in maintaining service in remote areas.

Dr Springer pointed to a disconnect between the board’s efforts and the reality on the ground. 

“Even as we speak, there are persons in the bus stand waiting for a bus, watching you, listening to you, and there’d be no bus for the past two hours,” he remarked, calling for greater accountability within the Transport Board.

As the Transport Board grapples with these issues, rural residents like Marie Lowe continue to bear the brunt of the unreliable service. “I pay taxes for 31 years and 8 months, and I shouldn’t be getting that. I should be getting a bus when I want a bus, not going to the bus stand and sit down like I begging for salt,” she said. (RG)