Upgrade needed

Minister of Transport and Works, Michael Lashley, admits that there is definitely a need to upgrade the existing fleet of the Transport Board.

The Minister, as he reflected on the strike action taken by workers of the Transport Board yesterday protesting – among other things – the unavailability of buses, stated that in the first instance the Board needs as many as 25 to 30 buses to help better meet the needs of the travelling public, but noted that given the current economic environment this will be no easy task.

“We have been operating and struggling with buses for over 20 years and sometimes there comes a time when it does not make economic sense to repair the buses. So we have to buy new buses, we have to. I will continue to say that we must buy new buses, there is no doubt about that,” he said.

He said that while they strive to have 125 to 130 buses on the roads daily, they are currently operating with about 110 buses due to the challenges posed by the ageing fleet.

Responding to concerns from workers that there may be steps being taken to privatise the Board, the Transport and Works Minister was adamant that no such plans were being considered. He made the point while referring to the Transport Authority Service Integration (TASI) project, which saw some public service vehicles (PSVs) plying some routes that the Transport Board also services. He maintained that the TASI project was initiated to assist the Transport Board in meeting the needs of the travelling public, and was not at all intended to disadvantage bus drivers employed by the State.

“We met with the union and assured the union that this was not privatisation, but it was a measure to assist the Transport Board. We have not even expanded the project; it has remained the same since inception, even though it was to be introduced on other routes. We did not do it and it stayed at two routes – Eddy Village and Sturges,” he said. (JRT)