Rubis gives a hand to PSVs

As things continue to be testing for local operators of public service vehicles, one petroleum distributor has stepped up once again to lend a helping hand.

After fostering a similar initiative last year under the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rubis has reached out to the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) with vouchers for fuel to assist members. Yesterday the AOPT began the disbursement of $2 000 worth of vouchers to some of their members at Rubis Fontabelle with taxi driver Sinclair Bynoe and van driver Winston Lowe being the first to receive theirs.

Speaking to members of the media after the presentation, AOPT Marketing and Communications Officer Mark Haynes expressed gratitude to Rubis, stating that his organisation was pleased that the company was cooperative and sensitive at a time like this when many were feeling the strain of the pandemic. “We present these vouchers to our members, some of whom are among the most vulnerable and this is their way of giving back and trying to aid in this situation because you know things are tight right now for everyone. So we are extremely glad that Rubis was able to assist us at this time and it is a good public gesture and the company must be applauded,” he said.

With public service vehicles currently restricted to 60 per cent capacity under the current directives and with ridership down due to the national pause, Haynes said that they were hoping for the best for March with the proposed lifting of restrictions. “We expect that when all the vehicles resume that it probably will pick up. As I speak with you now, the figures do not look good because it is a very precarious situation, but we hope that business picks up once the government opens up at the end of the month. But the ridership is still down because many persons are still home and this has really put a dent in the financial operations of operators.”

Due to restrictions and the level of caution being exhibited by some persons, Haynes explained many were either unemployed or finding other means of being transported, leaving public service vehicles to work with what commuters that were on the roads. “We are here to serve, we have been serving. Only last week over the weekend, we acquiesced to the government’s request to stay at home. We did so because no petrol stations were open and that placed our members in a position where you would run the risk of going on the road and you run out – God forbid it. Then you could not fill up. So that made no sense, it was not financially viable to be running up and down and not picking up persons, and therefore, we were not on a strike, but we were on a pause,” he said.

With the government currently rolling out a COVID-19 vaccination programme that could possibly see the reopening of society as we know it, Haynes revealed that his organisation took no official stance on the vaccine as there were members of the public divided on the issue. However, he did say that the AOPT advised its members to check in with their healthcare professionals on if it was good for them. “I hope the vaccine helps to mitigate the spread of COVID. I hope it helps and if it does, we are glad because that would give some room for persons to be back out. So once the vaccine helps, we do not have a problem with that,” he said.

Haynes also stated that public service vehicle operators should be considered in the first groups of essential workers to be vaccinated. “We are deemed to be frontline workers and therefore, I felt that it would be expedient for the workers to take the vaccine once they sign off with their physician. We should be among the first group of persons because we interface with the public on a daily basis and on a regular basis. And I think in that regard that this sector should be considered – the operators in this sector should be considered for the vaccine being given to them. We should not be sidelined,” he said. (MP)