Government and representatives of public transportation groups have signed a groundbreaking memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at fostering greater collaboration amongst industry players, and improving and transforming public transportation in Barbados.
The MOU on the Future of Public Transportation was signed on Friday, October 21, 2022, by the Transport Authority, the Transport Board, the Association of Public Transport Operators, the Alliance Owners of Public Transport Inc., TAP Operators Associations, the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association, the Taxi Association and the Ministry of Transport, Works and Water Resources (MTWW), at the Barbados Water Authority’s Headquarters, The Pine, St. Michael.
The MOU established a framework for collaboration amongst government and stakeholders as they work to provide safe, affordable, reliable, and efficient transport services and infrastructure within the island. It covers:
- The roles and responsibilities of government and stakeholders,
- Formalising the Barbados Mass Transit Authority,
- Rationalising routes to make public transport more efficient,
- Public Service Vehicle (PSV) Operator Training,
- Global Position System (GPS) for public transport vehicles,
- The rollout of a cashless system,
- And rate setting for taxi and other operators.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, Works, and Water Resources, Santia Bradshaw, said the MOU was the result of fruitful discussions with stakeholders on how a number of pressing and outstanding issues that have plagued the industry for a long time could be resolved collaboratively.
Noting that it did not include every challenge affecting the sector, she said: “We have to make public transport more efficient and if it is to be effective, then we need to ensure that we have not only the cashless system which allows commuters to feel more comfortable traveling and using our buses, but we have to look at things like the way in which we communicate and cooperate with our stakeholders as well.
“For the most part, I would say the sector’s already to a large extent privatised and therefore we are dealing with entities who have their own way of doing things but in order to be able to make the system more efficient, there is going to have to be that structure from Government….”
Ms. Bradshaw added: “Our intention is that committees will be convened in order to be able to address the body of the MOU and therefore those consultations will obviously start very shortly. Truth be told much of the work has already started, it really is now to just solidify what we have certainly been able to build out in terms of the foundation.”
MTWW’s Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary, John Skinner, lauded the players for partnering with Government. “I must commend you for your efforts and your willingness to partner with the government of Barbados to push a sector that has for some time been the challenge in various ways. And I trust that as we sign off on this agreement today that this will signal your intention and obviously that of the Government of Barbados to foster a sector that can indeed have benefits for this economy.”
The MOU between Government and public transport stakeholders was the result of a series of discussions which formally began in April 2021.