Study needed

A full and comprehensive study is needed on the transport system in this country.

With about two decades having gone since the last such study was done, Minister of Transport, Works and Maintenance, Dr. William Duguid, suggested one is needed now more than ever. He made the point while delivering the keynote address at the National Consultation on Domestic Transport held yesterday at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre. However, as he lauded the Transport Authority’s efforts at route rationalisation given the saturation on some routes, he maintained that the efforts must go deeper than that.

“If we do not carry out a scientific analysis of the transport needs and abilities of Barbadians, the options available, the possibilities of connectivity between various links and modes, and the quality and costs of alternative solutions, how then do we expect to build on the makeshift arrangements we have now?” he said.

Duguid added, “I therefore charge the Transport Authority with the responsibility of putting a mechanism in place to have such a study carried out in the shortest possible time.”

Such a study, he explained, would guide the authorities in creating a modern system, integrating all modern forms of transport. Such a system, he said, should be accessible to all, affordable, safe and most of all environmentally friendly.

It is with that in mind, that the Transport, Works and Maintenance Minister made it clear that the days of diesel buses being imported into this country are a thing of the past. This, he said, is part of Government’s effort to reduce the country’s carbon footprint, given the significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions that emanate from the transport sector. However, he said the benefits are numerous and wide-ranging.

“It is for this reason that we feel that the time has come for a greening of the transport industry and thus reduce Barbados’ dependence on fossil fuels. The use of green energy would importantly, reduce the negative impact on air quality, the physical environment, water quality, public health and the economy as a whole. If we are seeking to improve the quality of life of our people and generations to come, we must be serious about moving towards a green economy. It is for this reason that we have decided not to import anymore diesel-fuelled buses into Barbados,” he insisted.

As a result, he said, in keeping with the recently approved Master Plan for the Transport Board, that entity will be acquiring a number of electric buses to add to its fleet. He noted that this will be done on a phased basis, starting in the new financial year. According to Duguid, the bids for the supply of the electric bus fleet and charging stations have been received and are currently being evaluated.

The Minister said while he is cognisant of the difficulties persons are experiencing in accessing transportation, and he is aware of the calls by some for some diesel-powered buses to be imported to ease the shortage, he is insisting that they have to consider the long-term damage that the society and economy would suffer if they were to do so.

“We are fully committed to transition Barbados to be the first 100 per cent green and carbon neutral island-state in the world by 2030,” he maintained.

With that in mind, he indicated that Government is willing to consider the granting of duty-free concessions to the public service vehicle (PSV) operators to import vehicles powered by alternative energy sources. He went further indicating that as part of this green thrust, all government vehicles and street lighting will be required to be powered by clean energy by 2025. To that end, he said that steps will be taken to incentivise the use of clean energy vehicles by businesses and individuals as well. (JRT)