The unruly PSV sector continues to pillage on our society. Is it fair to state Barbadians have surrendered to the sub-culture which has become synonymous with the industry? We condemn the Royal Barbados Police Force under Commissioner Darwin Dottin who announced many moons ago he had declared war on our roads by introducing Operation Road Order Maintenance.
BU family member Inkwell in a previous blog provided a counter-analysis of the PSV sector which described the unruly behaviour as the outcome of a flawed government policy. The unwillingness of our authorities to implement the required governance structure gives anyone reasonable cause to question motive. Why would any government remain so impotent to act in the face of a sector which is wrecking havoc on the social fabric of our society?
Yesterday (9/23/2009) the Nation newspaper reported on a route taxi driver who was jailed for 1 year. Unbelievable but true a Dexter Smith despite although having had his license suspended for a year was able to commandeer a public service vehicle and in the process cause injury to 14 ZR passengers.
Here is the pertinent quote from the Nation report which lays bare the impotence of our authorities:
The 21-year-old route-taxi driver, of Whitehall, St Thomas, had just admitted he drove a vehicle while his driver’s licence had been disqualified; that he had no insurance; that he drove without due care and attention; dangerously; without reasonable consideration; and that he passed beyond the stop line, all on Sunday. He has 30 traffic convictions and has had his licence suspended on four occasions.
The above begs the question, how could this be? Where is the responsibility of the owner of the vehicle? Inkwell please advise on this matter. What are we missing? Shouldn’t the owner of any PSV be responsible for clearing the driver before handing over the keys? It is interesting to note the Magistrate convicted, reprimanded and discharged Smith for the other offences.
BU has outlined our concerns over several blogs about the ownership interest within the PSV sector by influential people. These people are able through their prominence or financial means to manipulate the system to achieve desired outcomes. The time has come for the David Thompson led government to institute the relevant policy framework to break the back of the indiscipline in the transportation sector which all agree has become institutionalized. Worrying is the trend that negative behaviours usually associated with the PSVs have started to appear at the Transport Board.
In a related story an Indian Journal has reported the results of a survey which concluded:
Indians are among the most corrupt, when doing business abroad to ‘speed things up’. The survey done by a non-governmental organization (NGO) called Transparency International India (TII) claims that Indian and Chinese firms play an active role in global business but engage in ‘bribery’ when doing business abroad.
The BU family has been crying in the wilderness about the non-Barbadian forces which are starting to corrupt the way of life our forefathers have slaved to build. It saddens the BU household when the current generation of educated Barbadians would remain idle while the Barbadian brand disappears.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.