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Cronyism, Corruption And A Lack Of Transparency At The Transport Board

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New General Manager Sandra Forde tours facilities at Mangrove depot

The issues at the Transport Board have bedevilled Barbados governments for the past 30 years. What is evident is the veil of corruption which envelops its operations. With each passing year the political directorate in cahoots with others have fiercely protected the fatted calf.  How quickly Barbadians have forgotten the award of an insurance contract to CGI Insurance Company by former Minister of Transport Rommell Marshall. The contempt which Marshall showed for Barbadians by cloaking that transaction in a shroud of secrecy will cement his tainted legacy as a minister of the Crown to his grave.

Unfortunately the relevant legislation that would empower the people to rip away the protection which protects the scumbags who gnaw away at the treasury remains firmly in place. The Thompson government promised to introduce Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation at the earliest opportunity on assuming office. Three years into its term the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) government appears to have become distracted. Yes the global economic storm remains its biggest challenge but in tough times good leaders always* find a way to get the job done.

The Transport Authority was established in 2008 to provide a framework to formulate the vision of the Transport Board into a clearly articulated policy framework for public transport in Barbados. It is 2010 and Barbadians who have witness a transportation system which has descended into chaos remain expectant that a well intentioned body will begin to rollout its mandate soon.

The Transport Board and the PSV sectors continue to operate in a cutthroat environment to the benefit of a few growing bank accounts. Who can forget former Ministers of Transport who issued hundreds of permits on the eve of general elections? If we thought Johnny and Georgie were bad Wuk Fuh Wuk took it to a different level. It is no secret the permits which were exchanged for ‘a few dollars’.

This bullshit has got to stop!

For many years people in the know have questioned the selection of the clumsy Marco Polo Mercedes Benz buses to operate efficiently on narrow Barbados roads. Why do we have these huge buses competing with the smaller PSV, on short routes to boot? What has happen to the ACME Transport Board relationship? The ACME manufactured Hino buses built for the PSV sector in the 90s continue to ply the routes of Barbados to this day. What are we missing?

Why should one Bajan Indian own a fleet of minibuses? Yes he is Bajan but BU can agree to  substitute Black or White for Indian. Why should our government on behalf of its people approve a system which can be easily manipulated by persons with deep pockets and promise of favours?  What was the tendering process which Brathwaite’s Trans-Tech participated to supply materials to the Transport Board? Despite his his political lineage does it make him exempt.  Finally, why is it successive governments have remained married to the decision to purchase Mercedes Benz buses in the face of evidence there are more robust models? Could it be our financially and socially insecure politicians run scared of Sir Kyffin?

What about the operations of United Commercial Autoworks Ltd (UCAL) which is the special workshop arrangement setup to service Transport Board buses? How can the taxpayers of Barbados scrutinize the details of the current arrangement? What external examination is in place to ensure any service level agreement is being strictly adhered to? The people want to know!

The time for the corruption and lack of transparency masking decisions and actions at the Transport Board must stop!

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64 responses to “Cronyism, Corruption And A Lack Of Transparency At The Transport Board”

  1. Robert Deschappe Avatar
    Robert Deschappe

    @ David:
    Is Chairman of the TB Board Pedro Stanford the right man for the job? So far the only recommendation BU can find is that he attended Combermere in the Thompson years.
    Mr. Stanford and Mr. Hugh Foster were intimately associated with James Paul’s campaign; as you are aware, Mr. Foster is a consultant in the Ministry of Tourism.

    @ More in the mortar….. // July 25, 2010 at 10:07 AM

    This expose makes for intriguing reading.
    Can we look forward to similar assessments of the operation of other Boards eg QEH, UDC etc?

    I agree with you 100%. All quasi government institutions should be assessed. For example, the National Assistance Board. The Housing Welfare Department was transferred from the NAB and divided between the Urban and Rural Development Commissions; and the Assistance-in-Kind program, under which the elderly and some poor persons were given household items, (stoves, beds, linens, knives, forks, night-chairs, etc) was discontinued. The senior citizens’ homes at Black Rock and in Golden Rock, Pinelands, have been closed. Yet, with operations being significantly reduced, the NAB has:
    *Three persons in the typing pool (secretary, 2 clerk typist);
    *Six in the accounts section (1 accountant, 1 senior clerk, 4 clerical officers);
    *One recreation officer, who compiles the monthly report for the Home Care;
    *One maintenance officer, who is in charge of the van ML581and the truck ML582;
    The staff from the homes have been incorporated into the Vauxhall Senior Citizens’ Village.
    The Senior Citizens’ Village is another amazing operation, could you imagine that the senior citizens who live in this village have to pay rent, and buy their own gas for cooking. Yet, the Brittons Hill folk are living there and enjoying all the amenities FREE OF COST. Is this situation fair to the senior citizens?

  2. JC Avatar
    JC

    You serious RD!!!???????

    That ain’t making no sense!

    Is someone getting ‘drawbacks’????

  3. Robert Deschappe Avatar
    Robert Deschappe

    @ David:
    I did a thesis on public transport in Barbados, and I have based my comments on research and information received. It is my understanding that the TB is very politically oriented, and some of the line staff must also take responsibility for what is happening there, irrespective of which party is the ruling administration. When the TB purchase new buses, the older drivers are given preference to drive them, and in an effort to drive the new units, the other drivers would report all sorts of deficiencies on the older buses, thereby ensuring their retirement. Because of political association, some drivers refuse to go to routes designated by the supervisors. I have heard and seen this occur in the then Lower Green terminal, and the new Princess Alice terminal as well. I cannot tell you about QA’s role, because that department has left me puzzled. What I can say is that based on certain information, there seems to be some ongoing rift between UCAL and the QA, section, as it relates to the fixing of buses.

  4. Bosun Avatar
    Bosun

    (@RD that would have been Detco Motors ,not Fort Royal.)
    Back in the early ’80’s I recalled the Transport Board selling off some retired units to Gill at Canewood for $100 each, and when they were forced to buy back some of the old engines from him, he charged them $900 for each engine.
    By now Transport Board should have established a Base Workshop, separate from the day -to-day workshop. This Base Workshop would deal strictly with the overhaul and refurbishment of units and major components. This system would ensure that the life of a bus is greatly extended.

  5. Inkwell Avatar
    Inkwell

    Bush Tea,

    If PSV owners and operators can’t expect to be treated fairly, why would you expect them to conform to the laws of the society that is screwing them.

    It is attitudes like yours over many years that have them disregarding niceties in the fight for survival.

    Isn’t equality of treatment for all enshrined in our constitution? And shouldn’t all citizens expect equal treatment under the law?

  6. Robert Deschappe Avatar
    Robert Deschappe

    @ Bosun:
    Thanks for the correction, I meant Detco Motors. Your idea of a base workshop is an excellent suggestion.
    We can go way back to the 1971s, when 23 Seddon Pennine MK IV (such as MF10, 12, 13, etc) units were delivered to the TB between August and October of that year, and remained in service until about 1982. These units worked with the units from the late 1960s, such as the Albion Victor, Albion Viking (popularly known as the “bend stick”), Leyland Tiger Cub semi-automatics, Leyland Tiger Cub (manual M5835), and the Bedford SB. All of these buses were retired when the newer Leylands were purchased.
    A few years after the Board ordered an additional 80 + Seddon Pennine Chassis, (ME260, 268, 290, 291, 298, MG872, 87; M5812), to mention a few), that were fitted with bodies built by ACME. The older units were taken to Mangrove Depot, when the new Seddons were placed in the system. In the late 1970s, the Board ordered some Leyland Willowbrooks with bodies from England, such as M5018, M7597, M7298, that were later used as pavilions at cricket grounds around rural Barbados when they were taken out of the system. A few years ago there was a bush fire behind the Mangrove Depot, which revealed a number of retired units parked on the environs. There has never been a process of a gradual retirement of buses; when new ones come, all the older ones are taken off the road collectively.

    So we can see that the style of management and method of operations at the TB have not changed significantly since the 1970s.

  7. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Inkwell

    Why you don’t leave the bushman in peace nuh? LOL ..you really think that BT can
    focus on whether ZR operators flout the law or not…? of if they should be more fairly treated than anyone else…?

    …man Bushie here trying to comprehend the enormity of these revelations by Bosun, David, and Robert Deschappe… things looking worse than even the bushman thought.,,,Can’t imagine what must have happened at Hardwood or even Waterworks then…

    …meanwhile, if you and Brutus wish to rely on constitutionaly guaranteed equality of the species (despite your awareness of the Animal Farm saga) to guide behavior at this chaotic stage of our development, feel free to indulge yourselves.

  8. David Avatar
    David

    @Bushman

    This BU Inkwell Transport Board Inquiry hurting our heads for the same very reason you allude. BU did not even bother to ask how former GM Jessamy was able to build some big able apartments on a GM salary which could not have been more than Barney Lynch minister salary. How course we don’t have FOI to ask for the relevant records.

    The elephant in the room is how Sir Roy’s union has stood idle while these things unfold!

  9. Bosun Avatar
    Bosun

    @RD here is a picture of one of those AEC’s which the TB had purchased around 1960. After it was disposed of , it was left open to the full fury of the Atlantic Ocean at Bathsheba,and survived ,and just about two years ago, the body was removed ,probably sold as scrap, as it was mostly aluminium. It demonstrated the fact that the selection of units back in the early days was more sensible and thorough than at present.
    http://www.panoramio.com/photo/38451623

  10. Bosun Avatar
    Bosun

    Maybe TB opted not to deal with reputable British bus manufacturers who,prefer to give a long lasting product without any kickbacks.
    Some years ago Nigeria sent an order for 900 new buses to British Leyland,as it were. British Leyland was a bit taken back, as the Nigerian bus fleet was relatively new. An engineer was sent to Nigeria,who carried out an assessment of the 900 out of service units . A BL repair team was later sent out to Nigeria. The team carried out extensive repairs , mainly using parts from some of the condemned buses to put others right.(canabalising) . At the end of the exercise British Leyland advised the Nigerians to amend the order for new buses from 900 down to 300.
    Some manufacturers have a name and reputation to protect.

  11. Avatar
    Anonymous

    “Cronyism”……..This word could have been invented by the Transport Board. ‘Driver’ spoke of the Union Delegate who gets preferential treatment ,as far as his bus is concerned. But this is nothing new. History repeats itself. There was a driver,whose bus a Leyland Tiger Cub, M5827 would remain in Weymouth if this particular driver was off duty , or on vacation. He also was the only driver assigned back in those days to Transport tourist .He was not a Union Delegate, but his name was Mr Crony .

  12. The Pious one Avatar
    The Pious one

    Transport Board Staff is currently undergoing Customer Service training. Hopefully things would improve in that regard.

  13. bajan babe Avatar
    bajan babe

    d o you know that pedro stanford is the right hand man for lloyd brathwaite at transtech for the yrs when he start imperial engine from transtech . i guess its paying back time . brathwaite is cunning trickster and liar . he needs a god .

  14. David Avatar
    David

    @bajan babe

    Not only is the Deputy Chairman the one alleged to have introduced Brathwaite to the TB, you are confirming that he is a long time buddy of the Chairman?

    Define croynism anyone?

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