BU wishes to ask the Cabinet of Barbados headed by Prime Minister Fruendel Stuart the following questions:
Was Jada Construction – Bjorn Bjerkman – awarded the GROTTO contract WITHOUT going to tender? If so is this a violation of government’s financial rules?
In December last year with much fanfare former Minister of Transport John Boyce launched the Super Saver Smart Card. This is a prepaid card designed to allow customers to ‘top up’ and use to pay for travel on Transport Board buses.
Is it true that the Super Smart Card system has had to be abandoned after less than 5 months? What was the cost of implementing this technology at Transport Board? What has the usage been to date?
A reminder to members of parliament that you have been elected to serve the people.
@David | May 12, 2013 at 2:45 PM |
We the drivers know of the plan, and most of the other staff would also know of it. I assume though that in time, as plans are finalized that the general public would know. I mean at this stage the minister or someone else could step in and say no, leave the machine and continue to lose the $90,000. per month. Anything is possible.
The GM is low keyed, not as visible as most other GMs that I saw in my past 16yrs. Ian Jessemy and especially David Jean-marie were more on the ground. But I understand she has an open door policy that a lot of people use to take concerns, ideas and assume – news as well. She is quite pleasant but, being also the treasurer of the DLP myself and some other do not try to get too, close for politics and business do not mix.
I just try to do my job and drive my bus to the best of my ability and get people there safe. I figure though that she is doing a lot of work behind the scenes. Encouraging some of the managers to actually do their jobs. I think we have to look to cut expenditure while also maintaining jobs.
Perhaps I may write here and open letter through the blogs. Who knows.
Have we suddenly woken up, like the sleeping giant of Illaro Court, to find that Kyffin Simpson and his associates are the real government of Barbados? His badge of office was handed to him back in 1981, when the then Prime Minister Tom Adams, like a good traffic cop on race days with the GG’s Limo, curtail and restrict the import of motor cars into Barbados, unless they fell into the category of the Suzuki. Simpson Motors was off and running,length ahead of the competition, and haven’t stopped since . And why should they,when at every street corner there in an accommodating Tom Adams.
Buggy
Wait until JADA et al, including their other company INNOTEC take over the construction industry, then you will see the cost of construction skyrocket in Bim.
@ Well Well:
“Funny thing is, about 15 years ago i visited the New York Museum of Natural History, a part that you need special permission to visit, and inside were many specimen of fish, one specimen had blue eyes and very pale albino like skin, i later found out that this fish was found in a certain part of Africa, only in Africa, and it’s name has and always will be nigger………..so people using the word all these many centuries never knew that it is the name of a white albino looking fish, with blue eyes. ”
Well, well…smells fishy to me; like our own Bajan “Nigger-Head” fish…so- called because the skin is especially difficult to remove at the head-part…I supposed.
@Driver
Look forward to your unvarnished insights.
Frank Talk……………..you said it very well. brains difficult to penetrate with anything resembling common sense.
I really can’t believe that successive black governments have sat their lazy inept behinds down and allow this travesty to continue with the simpson monopoly sucking up everything on the island……..decade after decade.
Well Well | May 12, 2013 at 1:00 PM |
Bajans like any title coming out of England that makes them look stupid and fuels their egos………
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So much so, that we have two classes of Knighthoods in Barbados, The supposedly independently Bajan one , the Knight of St Andrew (KA) ,which by the looks of it is not acceptable / suitable by / for certain classes of people in Barbados, and our government in awarding knighthoods to these people,have to go cap in hand to Buck House on HM the Queen’s birthday and at New Years, to secure the order of Knight Commander of St Michael and St George (KCMG) .
Effectively making our KA more in the MM (Mickey Mouse) class.
@”Frank Talk…………since the race has been cursed with a variety of niggas of different hues and most are self-destructive, i will go with all of the above that you mentioned…………we also have to take into account that there are still some intelligent black people out there with wonderful constructive minds……..”
Please DO NOT minimize the African Race of which I am, and I suspect you, are part of.
Franktalk…………………self destructive being the operative word, please do not turn into another AC, most people are now ignoring her tirades.
Colonel………………you mean even the piece of crap titles out of England they have managed to reduce to an exercise of this title better than that title, no wonder the COWs, JADA’s and Simpsons are now laughing all the way to the bank………………HA, HA, HA
Colonel………..what i don’t get about these titles, most of them get the titles when they are old and decrepit, losing their minds and about to die, where is the fun in that? have they really asked themselves that question. The people like Simpson, Cow and whomever else use the title to act like they own the island, cause the people and now obviously the politicians are clueless, or pretending to be, and obviously has lost all control. They no longer call the shots………………do they honestly think this is something to be proud of? exactly what kind of future are they living for our children and grandchildren on the island.
That should read:
Exactly what kind of future are they leaving for our children and grandchildren on the island when they are so powerless, financially and otherwise?? If anyone can answer that intelligently, i would really appreciate it.
So it would appear that the Transport Board is between a rock and a hard place. On one side we have Simpson Motors, and on the other side we have UCAL, headed by Sir Roy Trotman, both biting heavily into the the takings ,as well as the tax dollars of the Bajan people..
In the early days of the Transport Board, one MCP as they were called then (Member of Common Parliament) Boy Child Smith had recommended that all Bus Conductors be outfitted with pants without pockets. It looks like today, we have to outfit those who do business with Transport Board in similar clothing.
wait well! Well1 I didn’t know I was in any competition with any blogger . as far as I am concerned ac speaks for ac and doesn’t give a hoot who agrees or disagree that is the way it is . I bet most of what I say rubs people the wrong way noticeably u who believes and thinks that u have found a soap box to bore people to death on any topic,
Colonel…………………i have been hearing for some time now that everything has collapsed, but i did not believe it was that bad, the taxpayers are the ones who will suck salt……………..oh well, don’t look like some of them even mind.
@Driver
Back in the early 60’s / 70’s ,the Transport Board had the wherewithal to order and operate such brand name buses as the AEC, Leyland Tiger Cubs, Albion ,Bedfords and Mercedes without the assistance or dependency of a local agency. And this also extended to the procurement of parts for these buses ,some of which gave the Board 25 years service. Notwithstanding the loss of its very professional and capable mechanical workshop, Where has that expertise built up by the Transport Board over those years gone?
Colonel…..i remember those buses and the mechanic shop transport board had, i never dreamed there refusal to stop import those mercedes buses that shackle out shortly after arriving in Bim, nothing works including the bell, stemmed from the fact that Simpson was directly benefiting from their imports and not one politician has the courage to stop this drain on the taxpayers, what a shame.
Well Well | May 12, 2013 at 5:03 PM |
Exactly what kind of future are they leaving for our children and grandchildren on the island when they are so powerless, financially and otherwise?? If anyone can answer that intelligently, i would really appreciate it.
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I recall some years ago a Knights /industrialist, who is really a glorified shop keeper , dependent on Bajan clientelle , saying that when things get rough in Barbados, he will still be able to drive around in a Mercedes, drink champagne and the like. And no doubt when it gets even rougher ,he and person like him will be able to retire to places like Miami, Toronto or Australia.
But one of the most damning statements that I ‘ve come across was in Trip Adviser . One person stated that she does not visit one popular destination in the Caribbean,namely USVI, as it is always chock-a- block with cruise liners on any day . She went on to say that
the difference between Haiti and the rest of the Caribbean island is Tourism.
Over the years we have allowed ,and even assisted ,a few to take the lion share of ,and out of Barbados.
Colonel………………the thing is with the minorities on the island, they are easier given citizenship for other countries than the majority can obtain, why the governments allow them to usurp all the opportunities and taxpayers dollars knowing only too well that their children live outside and they themselves eventually leave to retire outside leaving the island in financial shambles, aided and abetted by successive black governments, this is a mystery of gigantic proportions, why they are unable to stop this mess from continuing. Seems blacks are always ready for each other with nasty comments and attacks, but completely impotent and unable to defend their country from these types of exploitation.
Today’s Sunday Advocate at page 18 says that Brazil is producing unsafe cars with weaker welds,scant safety features and inferior material compared to similar models produced in the US and EU markets.Brazil’s vehicular fatal accidents increased 72% in 2010 compared to a decade ago.Safety activists suggest there is a deadly double standard and that Brazil’s knowledge of safety issues is lower than the US and EU.Was there not a deadly accident at Joes River a few years ago?
I recall the original Benzes in the late 50’s coming from Germany and the Leylands coming from UK.I don’t recall safety issues then.Maybe its time t go back to the ‘board and shingle’ buses.
@Gabriel Tackle I recall the original Benzes in the late 50′s coming from Germany and the Leylands coming from UK.I don’t recall safety issues then.Maybe its time t go back to the ‘board and shingle’ buses.
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Those buses were very durable. I still admire them, but as they were, some of them had their short comings, and would not pass a safety inspection today, unless they were modified to embrace some of today’s safety standards. Take the Leyland Tiger Cub ,for example . They were fitted with a pure air braking system, and if an air hose had snapped going down Horse Hill the result would have been very similar to the Joes River Incident. Modern vehicles of today ,utilise a strong spring-actuator to apply the brakes . Air is used to release that spring hold on the brakes. If an air hose bursts, the spring reasserts itself and automatically applies the brakes.
And speaking of Jose River, Jose River Estates had some Bedford Scammell trucks, today we call then articulated,that were literally death traps.Only the very desperate would drive one of these trucks ,and immediately his friends and family would be getting their funeral clothes ready. When descending a hill with a load of canes on the trailer behind, as the truck brakes were applied , the trailer would tend to overtake the truck section,and invariably, the truck would overturn killing the driver. Today, this is known as Jack Knifing ,and a simple independent braking system fitted on the trailer will prevent such from occurring and have saved many lives.
But one would have thought, that John Boyce, being a qualified Mechanical Engineer, would have made some significant improvements to the Transport Board, during his reign as Minister of Transport, similar to that which the Mechanic/Soldier ,Capt Hill did during his stint as Managing Director in the 60’s,to the extent of being the only Transport Board chief to realise a profit in the whole of its history.
@Colonel
I remember the incumbency of Capt Hill,a pleasant person and well liked by his staff.Hands on experience can always be brought to bear in sticky situations and the workshop guys knew you could’nt underestimate Hill.
Boyce on the other hand,according to reports,was always sleeping on the job in front of a TV.Can’t say for sure if that was true but his tenure at C&W was known for the 2 half completed roundabouts(Brded Hall and Ridge) in ChCh, the oval one by Simpson Motors,the Hammi-La crossover and the half million dollar sign by BET building. Rumour has it that since he has gone to Health he is putting better on the greens.
@ The Dummy @ Dumo
Innotech is not owned by Jada.
This is why we need a Contractor General…..talk about Integrity Legis…chee wizz
Onions
We might not need integrity legislation if we had less crooks. What we really need are less crooks, don’t you think?
But Caswell…how we go achieve that.. less crooks?….you neva heard about the Cave of Alibaba?…man it too late…too late…
Onions
We would have less crooks if we jail some of them when they get caught. If you have connections, our case never sees the light of day.
@Caswell
Race, class and corruption are three features of Barbadian and Caribbean societies. Nothing has changed since plantation society which was characterized by race and class to determine the social construct of society. During that time, whites were the dominant social class, with mullatoes in the middle strata and blacks at the bottom of the strata.
The abolition of slavery and the 1834-1838 apprenticeship period led to the partial liberation of blacks who after 1838 had to provide for their upkeep. Some of the ex-slaves remained on the plantations, while others moved away to be fully independent. The planters who controlled the legislative process, directly and indirectly saw the passage of the location act to frustrate the newly freed blacks from being free to make decisions where they will ply their labour.
The emergence of the black property class as a forceful social class, to some extent challenged the warped thinking that whites should remain the social elite. Adult suffrage eventually led to the blacks becoming the major voting bloc, but what has this led to? The emergence of corruption as an added feature of the black political class, and the retreat of the whites who stay in the background and decide which political party will best represent their interest.
We have heard of the hefty sums given to political parties, in exchange for huge benefits for the whites and the lobbyists, while the majority being emotively exploited every five years.
AngryBarbadian………………all of this ably aided and abetted by black politicians who are supposed to be looking out for the welfare of the black majority on the island, instead they look out for themselves and make sure their masters from the minority groups are well looked after by allowing them to milk the island of every drop of prosperity and financially enrich their own group, ensuring that the majority taxpayers get very little or nothing. It is enough to make anyone angry. This has been happening for many decades and every PM and the ministers have been guilty of this travesty.
@Well Well
Surely power and money will trump obligation to ones race any day?
That’s why i get exceedingly annoyed when i hear party supporters spewing their inane garbage when i know the black majority are not the ones actually benefiting from the years of prosperity on the island, they are just warm bodies who are alive to enrich other groups and are not even aware of it, most of them.
David………………..i mean come on, yes everyone loves money, but a sense of loyalty should trump greed any day………….say what you want about the white race but if they had to choose between seeing another race wealthy at the expense of their race, you can guarantee their race will get first preference, out of loyalty and survival for their own people, as we have seen happen from the 14 century to present day………..we can in effect say that our black politicians have absolutely no sense of loyalty to their own race and only see greed and self interest as determining factors of their existence.
To add insult to injury, we can safely say that the local minority group on the island also practice this form of self-preservation by playing on the sense of greed of the local leaders and making sure their people are well looked after and are always able to survive, even if it’s at the expense of the majority taxpayers, but they are being allowed to do this with the help of the leaders who do not have that instinct for survival and prosperity for their own race or the loyalty that has to along with it.
@Well Well
Which makes a mockery of the chorus of our national Anthem
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We loyal sons and daughters all
Do hereby make it known
These fields and hills beyond recall
are now our very own
We write our names in history’s page
with expectations great,
strict guardians of our heritage
firm craftsmen of our fate.
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I do not know about writing our names in history’s page, but we have been making an “X” every five years for the last 46 years, searching for that elusive great expectation.
Colonel…………..exactly, they make a mockery of the vision Barrow tried to infuse into their brains, regardless of his shortcomings, and they are intellectually unable to see that by having no inbred loyalty to see their own race prosper and becoming immensely enriched that they themselves and their progeny will end up in the same financial mess that they have wrought on their own people.
I have heard of local politicians upon aging, although they were known to be wealthy while flying high, had to be housed at the expense of the same taxpayers they disenfranchised so the other minority groups can maintain their wealth. They don’t have the intelligence of rusty spoons if they think millions of dollars obtained dishonestly will last them forever.