EDITORIAL - Authorities must take action now

THE time has come for a greater level of regulation of all public service vehicles (PSVs).

Daily observations of the practices and behaviour by those operating the ZRs and minibuses leave a lot to be desired, and the country has to get tough with those operators and bring some order to the system.

The drivers and conductors of these vehicles continue to do as they please without fear of the consequences of their wrongdoing. From one end of the island to the other, they flout the traffic laws: picking up and letting down passengers just about anywhere. Many of them do not dress in the uniforms which they are mandated to wear. They are known to proceed off route to avoid traffic congestion and even to compete among themselves for passengers. Then there is the case where having ventured off route, conductors disembark from the vehicles and position themselves at road junctions to direct the flow of traffic, and in the process make it easier for their vehicles to re-enter onto the main road. They are also known for speeding, improper overtaking and even running red lights. Some of them have several convictions, yet somehow they are still at the helm of vehicles transporting commuters.

Officers of the Royal Barbados Police Force have been doing their best to police these guys and try to get them to observe the traffic laws.

And unfortunately, all of what is outlined here is nothing new, since these infractions have been highlighted on numerous occasions before and are well documented.
It therefore begs the question why this state of affair continues to be so prevalent on our roads, and the appropriate authorities designated with the powers to deal with it have not been successful in nipping these things in the bud.

Back in 2008 a decision was taken to allow schoolchildren in uniform to travel free of cost on Barbados Transport Board buses. The reason for this decision was two-fold – to provide a social safety net for those who could not afford the bus fare, and to keep the schoolchildren from having to use the privately owned PSVs where possible. While it was done with good intentions, that policy was criticised simply because it was deemed to be denying the Board much needed revenue, given the financial difficulty the bus company continues to experience.

There were also allegations that some schoolchildren were exploiting the situation by travelling up and down on the buses, while some still seemed to prefer the private vehicles.

However, now is the time for further action, and the type that can result in an improvement to the situation.

There has to be a concerted attempt by all the agencies: insurance companies who provide the vehicles with insurance cover; the Royal Barbados Police Force; the association responsible for the operators; and inspectors from the Licensing Department at the Ministry of Public Works. They all have a role to play in confronting and combating this worrisome situation, which has been allowed to continue for too long on our country’s roads.