PSV Command Centre soon to be rolled out

THE first stage of the PSV Command Centre proposed by the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) to aid in regulating the operation of public service vehicles (PSVs), will soon be rolled out.

This revelation came recently from Roy Raphael, Chairman of the AOPT, who gave details as to how the Centre will operate.

“I am of the view that we need to police our own selves. We cannot rely on the police, we can’t rely on the traffic inspectors. Most of the owners do not drive the vans themselves, they rely on the operators to bring in the vans, bring in their money and not to break the law. So stage one of the Command Centre should be opening very, very shortly, where commuters and passengers can call us and report any issues they have travelling on the minibus,” Raphael indicated.

“We will be actually monitoring them from the terminal along their route and linked to that, we are also working closely with our information centre, where you can actually have an app on your phone, which will tell you where the next bus is.

So if you are in Holetown and you want to find out where the next Oistins bus is and if it has left, then you can download the app and it will give you a clear indication of the bus that you are awaiting. So that is stage one,” Raphael further explained.

He also gave details about what stage two will entail. “Stage two of the Command Centre will see traffic inspectors (in operation). Now we will be asking the Transport Authority to give us two traffic inspectors, which will be the normal traffic inspectors, but those inspectors will be paid by this Association. So we will have a practical team out there and we will be monitoring the PSV ourselves, so you will have fewer problems, less problems on the road as it relates to music, uniforms, etc.,” the AOPT Chairman revealed.

The PSV Command Centre is reportedly just one of a number of recommendations the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) has made in the hopes of bringing PSV operators in line, and better regulating the sector and how it functions, given the cries of many Barbadians about how PSVs are currently operating in Barbados. (RSM)