UPGRADE TRANSPORT!

“Our transportation system is in desperate need of an upgrade and if we are to move to a 24-hour economy we must tackle this head on.”

This is the belief of Economist Ryan Straughn, who was speaking at the 8th Tom Adams Memorial Lecture at Solidarity House on Wednesday night.

He elaborated, “Whilst physical improvements and maintenance are critical to achieving this goal, so too are the management structures we put in place. We must all appreciate that as an economy and society matures and develops there is a natural transition away from predominately the working economy to a more leisure economy as it ought to be today. Such a transition must be accompanied by the relevant adaptation of the role of Government.

“In 1976 due to what we economist call market failure, it was necessary for the Government to both own and manage the transportation system. During Adams’ tenure, minibus operations as we know it today were also legalised and facilitated through the issuance of licenses for public service vehicle to citizens of Barbados. This achieved two very important things, one was the partial privatisation of public transport and the economic enfranchisement of those operating the public service vehicles.

It was further stated that, “Today, there are more than one hundred thousand private vehicles in Barbados and such accessibility is no longer an issue as it was in 1976.”
While speaking yesterday at 8th Tom Adams Memorial Lecture at Solidarity House, he asked Barbadians, “When will we recognise that Government does not have to own a bus to deliver subsidised fares for any of its citizens? Furthermore, I suggest that Government’s role in the 21st century should be as a strong regulator which would provide much higher value of money for you the tax payer than if we continue to maintain the current system as is.

“Let us establish a revenue sharing model backed by a robust digital payments solution across the public transportation sector which will systematically remove the disorder that currently exists on our nation’s roads. Let us all set a simple target of cutting transit times during term time by 50 per cent by 2020 by improving our traffic management system, this can be done by establishing two lanes of one way traffic on specially designated roads in and out of the city during peak times on week days. Let us deploy drones today, not in 20 years, so that real time information is received by both commuters and the authorities who can then properly evaluate whether the objectives are being achieved. Let’s give commuters on public transportation real time information on when the next bus will arrive at their destination. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel to make this happen, all that is needed is sheer will,” he stated.

“If physical infrastructure improvements are required, whether they are fly overs etc., let us get them done and if we have to toll the infrastructure to finance their cost or for maintenance, then let us do it, that you the tax payer can commute with confidence,” Straughn suggested.