New Minister of Transport and Works Kirk Humphrey has signalled a broad overhaul of Barbados’ approach to solving its chronic traffic congestion, declaring that a stronger, better resourced Mass Transit Authority must take the lead in restoring order and discipline on the roads.
He told the House of Assembly: “The solution to our problems cannot be a Transport Board solution. If we think that the Transport Board alone has the solution to our problems, then we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. I am saying that we must look at a total solution. Anybody that is plying their trade on the roads, any public service vehicle, sir, must be held accountable for what is going on in Barbados.
“The idea that you can choose what time you stop working, choose what time you going out, choose who you want to pick up – those days have to come to an end. The Barbados Mass Transit Authority must have a strong hand to play in the way we advance the solution to some of our problems.”
Insisting that not all ZRs were out of control, he stressed that talks will be held with operators to ensure Barbadians’ safety while on these vehicles, adding that “order must be the order of the day and this era of recklessness must end.”
“We know that we have a problem, and we have to be able to strengthen the Barbados Mass Transit Authority when it comes. That is vital; the leadership of it, the management of it, is going to be vital. I know that we’re looking at hiring some compliance officers, because currently, they can only operate in the bus terminals. They have to be on the road. This country has to return to order. It is going to be discipline on the road that will allow us to address a lot of our traffic issues.”
Noting the upcoming consultations, the minister suggested that the information to address traffic congestion must be data-driven.
“We have to have, for example, a conversation about how many people are actually in a car on mornings, where these cars are going, and what is the purpose? If you’re going to have an effective solution, we need to have a lot more information than we currently have.”
As debate on the Appropriations Bill continued on Wednesday, Humphrey acknowledged the frustrations of the public regarding the condition of the nation’s roads and committed to improved communication and greater accountability.
“I give the public this commitment that the communication from this ministry will improve, that when we’re going to fix the road, we will let the people know we’re going to fix the road… I mean more than the small little thing that you may see in the paper. I mean dedicated people on social media, in the press, the news.”
He outlined that over the past few weeks, the ministry had issued $17.5m in public contracts to fix 46 tenantry roads and cart roads and disclosed that larger roads, including those leading from the ABC Highway, such as Lodge Road and Fairy Valley Road, will be repaired “very soon”.
There will be an improvement in signage and a concentration of pothole patching within communities, ensuring that “all of the potholes in a constituency” are fixed before the patching machines are relocated, Humphrey said.
He also indicated that there will be a focus on reviewing employee allowances and addressing their working conditions, while pledging to visit all of the island’s MTW depots.
(JB)
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