AOPT setting up legal clinic to assist members

The Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) have put legal matters affecting all members of the public service vehicle fraternity on the front burner and as such will be doing their part to make life easier for operators. Speaking on the sidelines of a presentation of fuel vouchers by Rubis yesterday, AOPT Director and Attorney-at-Law Craig Banfield revealed a couple of his association’s initiatives.

Noting that there have always been high numbers of operators going before the law courts, Banfield explained that the Alliance would be setting up a legal clinic to assist with legal matters. With members who fall under the Alliance’s umbrella being the main focus, Banfield stated that it would be open to all operators in the public service vehicle fraternity before giving details as to how the clinic would operate. “How the legal clinic is going to work is that we are going to have two to three days a week on evening, we will have various lawyers who are well-versed in all areas of law and they have volunteered their services during this time period to take legal questions and any queries that anyone feels that they need at this particular point in time. As such, if legal representation in court is needed, we also are willing to go that extra step. But before that happens, we want to try to rectify and solve all matters as soon and as relevant as possible,” he said, noting that the location, times of operation and contact information to make appointments would soon be made available.

Banfield also expressed concern about the amount of time taken up in courts with minor infractions and as such stated that his association would be seeking an audience with the Minister of Transport and Works to discuss a ticketing system that could replace court visits. “Our public service vehicle operators that encounter reports from police for various infractions, for example, being off-route, can have a set fee that is to be determined. Instead of going to court and wasting time and also easing up the backlog of the court system, the police will probably issue a ticket to you and you will go to the court within 48 hours to make the requisite payment at that particular time. And if 48 hours passes and the operator has not paid the fine, then a summons will be issued and you will have to go to court respectively,” he said.

Going on to say that the idea was similar to Section 79 of Road Traffic Act which speaks to a demerit system which has never been introduced in Barbados, Banfield noted that it governed all vehicles in Barbados and preferred for legislation to be tabled and implemented specifically for public service vehicles. He added that something like this was important and needed to alleviate the court system and keep public service vehicles on the road transporting commuters. (MP)