BRSA protestS poor service

This is the cry of the members of the Barbados Road Safety Association (BRSA) who are demanding a total reform of Barbados’ Driver Licensing System.
Just after 7 a.m. yesterday, a small delegation from the BRSA gathered outside the gates of the Pine, St. Michael-based Barbados Licensing Authority, where they staged a protest to bring awareness and action, to a number of practices within the licensing system that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

Some of the placards the protesters held in hand read: Change Must Come; Politeness, Respect, Fairness; Customer Service Training Needed; and Standard Operating Procedures required, among others.

BRSA’s President Sharmaine Roland-Bowen, who led the group, told the media that the Association is appealing to the current or any future administration, to act swiftly or proactively, to resolve the deficiencies, whereby, providing a higher standard of driver assessment for Barbadians.

“As can be seen here this morning, candidates arrive here from as early as 5:30 a.m. for the test that starts around 9 a.m. Unfortunately, these persons are left to face the elements only to secure a place for the practical examination, in some instances, only to be rescheduled,” Roland-Bowen said.

“Some of these candidates will be here until evening and may not even secure a test today, meaning they will have to put aside another day to go through this hardship again.

“This should not be so, as with today’s modern technology, advance booking of candidates should be able to accommodate the shortage of officers well in advance,” she added.

The protesters also called for testing officers to be fair and courteous at all times, showing a politeness towards, consideration for, and treat all persons with dignity, along with creating a harmonious and stress free testing atmosphere.

Roland-Bowen contended that for too long, conditions where driver assessments have been conducted, there have been inadequate ‘Standard Operating Procedures’ where the assessment of candidates are left to the discretion of the individual testing officer.

She said this has been a major concern of the BRSA for some time, noting that members believe a unified and set criteria is needed across board, so that all persons are allowed to meet the same requirements fairly.

“This current system of assessment, where one uses their personal discretion to judge such a serious set of driving skills, can be influenced by emotion and attitude. This can in no way be fair to candidates taking a driving test.

“This procedure can neither be safe for other road users, as drivers might be allowed to join our road work network, where their competency levels in critical areas may be limited, to the individual examiners own capability or standard,” she said.

The President also indicated that the Association has been receiving numerous complaints about persons failing the test because they made minor mistakes which are not in any way a safety issue. She said some people also complain that the use of the discretionary method is being abused.

She suggested that where the appeals process is requested, there is a conflict of interest, as the proceeding is being overseen by persons in the same department and not by an independent panel or committee, where a fair hearing can be administered.

“We believe additional examiners as promised will indeed be part of the solution, but they can also expand the problem, if there is no formal driver examiner training for these persons, along with customer service, and adherence to a set of new Standard Operating Procedures which should be implemented,” Roland-Bowen said.

The Association which made similar calls in the past also wants to see mandatory training of all driving instructors who charge for services, and the minimum age for driving instruction be raised from 19 to 21-years-old.

The President noted that BRSA stands ready and willing to further discuss and offer assistance to any administration or stakeholder going forward, that is willing to work on improving the safety of road users and allowing its new driver community to keep their dignity.

The Barbados Advocate’s efforts to reach Minister of Transport and Works Michael Lashley proved futile.

Yesterday was Cabinet. (AH)