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Alliance Owners of Public Transport Director Craig Banfield (left) Executive Member Shadia Simpson and Communications and Marketing Officer Mark A. Haynes (right) present one of their members with one of the vouchers for free fuel from Rubis.

Rubis comes to AOPT’s rescue

Members of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport were lent a helping hand by petroleum products distributor Rubis, as several of them were presented with vouchers for fuel yesterday by officials from the Alliance.

At least ten of the most vulnerable members were part of the first wave to be gifted with vouchers for free fuel in a small presentation held at the Constitution River Terminal.

With the initiative coming as a direct response to COVID-19 pandemic Director of the Alliance Craig Banfield said that it was a much-needed donation at a trying time.

“We are very concerned about COVID-19 and the transportation industry and how it has affected each and everyone from drivers, operators to commuters. I would like to say thank you very much to Rubis for giving the opportunity to offer these vouchers to drivers who have been having difficult times in this pandemic. And I would like to ask other players in corporate Barbados to actually come to the Alliance Owners of Public Transport for the support of commuters and for the support of the public,” Banfield said.

Member of the Executive Shadia Simpson shared similar sentiments in expressing gratitude to corporate Barbados for responding to their pleas for assistance noting that the transportation sector for public service transport in the island had been heavily impacted by the Coronavirus.

“Rubis has extended its continued support to help alleviate some of the financial burden that has been placed, in terms of continuing to operate in these very trying times. As you would appreciate, ridership has been down for the last couple of weeks and the PSV operators have really felt the impact. They now have reduced numbers travelling on the buses themselves, in terms of how many people they can commute, and ridership on a whole has been down,” she stated, going on to say that she hoped the situation improves as phased reopening continues but expected the impacts to be far reaching and felt for some time.

Calling it a dire and debilitating situation Communications and Marketing Officer Mark A. Haynes said they needed government to work with them to ease the burden.

“We continue to urge government to support this sector to get back on its feet because we are cognisant of the fact that we are at 60% capacity in terms of ridership. This has to do with the protocols put in place by which we have to abide according to law. Therefore this has put a financial burden on the sector which continues to face the brunt of this whole situation,” he said.

Calling on corporate Barbados as well as private individuals who had the wherewithal to follow in the footsteps of Rubis, Haynes said that even help from outside, once legitimate, was welcome as he hoped they can pick themselves up in the future but needed help at present.

“The company is working with us and we are urging corporate Barbados to follow suit in the same manner in which Rubis has responded – in the affirmative.

“Corporate Barbados, we understand you have your challenges but we think that you owe it to us as entities within this community to also come to the aid of this sector and try to assist us wherever
possible. Whatever help you give to us, we will be pleased to accept,” he said. (MP)

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