Transport Board buses too old

The bus fleet used by the Transport Board is “way past its prime”.

So says Deputy General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), Dwaine Paul. He made the comments yesterday as he joined workers of the Transport Board outside the Weymouth headquarters, as they engaged in strike action, protesting a number of grievances. He contended that rather than continually trying to fix the buses, which the trade unionist maintained were “really too old”, steps need to be taken to acquire a new fleet, even if it done on a phased basis.

“We need to look at a project that would see us starting to replace some of the fleet. We understand there is a finance problem, but if we start to phase them in, at least we start to get somewhere and then we can have better service. Then we can start to look at route rationalisation because that is where the money is made,” he said.

Paul further contended, “We need to put this thing squarely on the table and address it and stopping putting up a lot of fronting stories about public transport... We are being strangers to the truth and keep kicking this can all over the place.”

Paul made the point as he dismissed suggestions that the industrial action being taken by the workers was being influenced by politics. He maintained that the growing issues at the Transport Board have been going on for too long and there has been no resolution to the matter.

“UCAL has been crying out for funds and for parts to fix buses. They are not getting their funds, they are not getting their parts, but then you go and open up a garage up in Mangrove which you are diverting funds to and they have the same challenge – trying to get parts to fix the same buses. UCAL is owed millions of dollars and they won’t service the debt. The Transport Board has an obligation to supply certain things to UCAL, but is not doing it, but every minute is entering a contract with Tom, Dick and Harry to fix buses. It is not a skills problem, the buses are old and there are issues with parts and reliability because of the age of the fleet and we know that, if you go to the dealer they will tell you that,” he stated.

Paul’s comments came as he said that while the drivers are willing and ready to do their job, too often there are not enough buses that can be used.

“The drivers are about driving and serving people. They come in here on mornings and can’t work a duty because they don’t know if they will get a bus to work the duty. So they are here sitting down in the operations shed waiting on a bus, it is too much. The guys don’t want to come in here every morning and sit down, they want to go out and do what they’re supposed to do,” he said. (JRT)