Indiscipline on the Roads
Submitted by Anthony Davis
The Barbados Transport Authority today suspended the permit of the owner of ZR 125 with immediate effect, after the van driven by Matthew Daniel of My Lords Hill, St. Michael overturned near the River Bus Terminal in the City, injuring 10 school children, including a Springer Memorial student […] who was pinned under the vehicle – Barbados Today 09 June, 2015
Michael Lashley, Minister of Transport
Dear Mr. Minister of Transport and Works, your statement that “the behaviour of these operators is getting out of hand”, must be deemed the understatement of the year, because everyone who lives on this island know that that happened eons ago. Daily one sees them breaking the laws as if they own the highways and byways of Barbados. They stop wherever and whenever they like – in the middle of the road – especially if there is a Transport Board bus behind them. They don’t care that the bus has a much longer braking distance, so the bus driver has to be vigilant if she/he doesn’t want to run into the back of them. This happens several times with the bus driver getting frustrated because he can’t overtake them and this puts the driver under unnecessary stress to do her/his best not to rear end the vehicle and therefore cause the commuters to arrive late at their various destinations.
Most appalling is the situation where a number of them use Broad Street, Cheapside, Wharf Road, and Princess Alice Highway as their personal Bushy Park, driving whichever direction they feel like, and driving through by the Cenotaph. I would suggest that there is cordoned off when it isn’t in use. I wonder why the authorities do not set up cameras along such roads – not only in Bridgetown, but in the others as well!
I would also suggest that it must be made mandatory for school children to take the school buses except, of course, in areas where there is no Transport Board bus service and where no school bus is available. Several school buses leave the terminals on mornings for the various schools and many of the students don’t take them, preferring to get the ones for the other commuters, forcing those who are trying to get to work and the elderly to stand.
The technology is there, so why not use it?
For what are we paying so much tax?
Every minibus and ZR driver must have proper training as many of them should not even be allowed to transport cattle. The police cannot be everywhere, so the transport inspectors of the Ministry of Transport and Works must become more visible to alleviate the burden on the police.
On the other hand, I cannot comprehend why people can be so stupid to get into a van which is overloaded. Such people must be devoid of the slightest smidgen of common sense, because there will certainly not be any insurance being paid out. Up to this morning (10 June, 2015), the day after the mass casualty situation, ZRs were racing up Broad St. and down Wharf Rd. and Princess Alice Highway. This shows the utter contempt of the drivers of such vehicles for the laws of our country. They only think about themselves – if they do such a thing at all!
They drive around with a Guinness bottle in their hands, and still people board the said vehicles. Are they seeking a joy ride to hell?
Many people encourage this nonsense by not going to the bus stops. No wonder many of them are getting so fat. They don’t want to walk the short distances to/from the bus stop.
What’s the use of making sure they wear uniforms if you can’t change their behaviour?
Many of them don’t seem to care about their own lives, so how can you expect them to care about other people’s?
They even have the tourists waiting outside their hotels instead of going to the bus stop now. Heavy fines must be imposed on the drivers and the owners. A uniform does not a careful, law abiding, responsible driver make, Mr. Minister of Transport and Works!
His/her attitude must change and it seems as if that will be a Sisyphean task!
Barbados Underground 
For thirty long years we have allowed this sector and others to breakdown. What does it say about our ability to fix manage anything. This is why we have no confidence in recent governments. Useless.
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BU notes the PSV driver was remanded yet we give bail to murderers etc, what a mess!
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What do you expect in a society that is being over-run with lawlessness? It is part of Bajan culture to always find ways not to adhere to rules or laws.
Vendors refusing to use markets and setting up indiscriminately around town, store owners placing display racks and tables on side-walks….. When asked to desist from this practice by the police, it is often met with the usual “protest anthem,” “we are poor black people trying to mek a dollar,” They move and within two days the status quo remains the same.
Ironically, those vendors who have adhered to the rules and are using the Marhill Street market, have been prohibited from parking alongside the facility to off load their produce. They have to endure the inconvenience of parking elsewhere and making trips back and forth with goods.
Additionally, the acting commissioner of police told officers when driving police vehicles, they should make themselves more accessible to the public, by not driving with the windows up. The police officers complained that while in uniform the humidity of the day keeps them hot, so they need to drive with the a/c on. As recent as yesterday I saw many marked and unmarked police vehicles with the windows up.
Mini buses plying the Speightstown route engage in a practice called “dragging,” which impedes the free flow of traffic. It is frustrating driving behind them, because they drive in the middle of the road to prevent anyone from overtaking and they slow down at every gap and bus stop looking for potential passengers.
I remember a group of us in my neighbourhood were discussing this “dragging” nonsense and how it impacted on workers’ punctuality. A guy, who at the time was a mini bus conductor, defended this practice, while stating “the men looking to mek a dollar fuh duh family.” He subsequently gained employment at the airport.
I was fortunate to be near the bus stop one morning as he was on his way to work and heard a girl asked him if he was going to catch the approaching mini bus. His response to her question made me laugh. He told her, in a “semi angry” tone, “You mad? Dem does drag, you want me get work late?”
Unfortunately, it has reached a stage where the serious injury of a young girl has motivated the Transport Ministry to take a “knee jerk” reaction.
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Check and see who are the real owners of
Want better insight as to the root of this problem? Check and see who hold the bulk of these permits.Ignore the lotta long talk about hitting the owners where it hurts. Ain’t gonna happen. They live in the Barbados where one call does it all. We live in the other Barbados.
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They also have a dangerous practice of off loading passengers and allowing them to cross in front of the minivan oblivious to traffic about to overtake the stationary vehicle and they and the stupid alighting passengers whose lives they are placing in danger curse you too when you draw the dangerous practice to their attention.
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The Barbados Sheriff Office today suspended the permit of the owner of DLP and BLP with immediate effect, after the government driven by FUNdel of oh My Lords Hill, St. Michael overturned the government near the River Bus Terminal in the City, injuring 270.000 Men ,women and children, including a Springer Memorial student who was pinned under the vat , tax and duty – Barbados broke as hell 09 June, 2015
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…a litany of brass bowlery.
What clearer sign can we want that AC is running the damn place? …and has been for some time now…
Not a single sign of intelligence or competence anywhere. ONLY A CURSE COULD HAVE ACHIEVED SUCH A THING…
The minister is a complete joke who is always in the process of “bringing legislation next couple months….”; “…looking at building a new terminal’; “….getting new buses’ ; or some such meaningless shiite…
The ‘Transport Authority’ seems to be a set of clueless jokers who qualified for the roles by putting up DLP posters last election….
The Police….??
LOL
…a senior cop came on radio yesterday and said that he went to the van stand last month and ‘saw for himself the level of indiscipline…..’
…and of course he left quickly… ha ha ha.
Now he is calling on commuters to impose discipline on the situation (while police continue to attend talk shops and raise funds for co-workers presumably…)
What a damned place.
This is what happens when we CHOOSE unrighteousness.
This is the shiite to be expected when we condone CLICO.
…when we have KNOWN crooks speaking from THE chair..
….when we have people on remand for YEARS without trial…
….when murderers are walking free because they are connected…
….when the sons of the moneyed can import CONTAINERS of drugs and walk free..
LOTTA SHIITE….
…surely wunna KNEW that there was a price to be paid….!?
Brass Bowls!!
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I totally agree with your comments in this article. But parents have a right to ensure that they children use the school bus on routes where their is a school bus. Also, the school could help with this discipline.
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Bush Tea June 12, 2015 at 7:34 AM #
Bushie, this has to be one of your best contributions to BU, so far for the year.
Excellent!!!!
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The Transport Authority is a joke. Can they respond to BU’s accusation Owlie is a front for Debbie Simpson on the St. Philip route? Both political parties voted to lead the country have failed in this matter. Who heard the minister yesterday admitting the transportation legislation enacted by the BLP is weak, can anyone check the records/Hansard to analyze the Opposition’s (DLP) contribution to the debate at that time?
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Bushie wrote “a litany of brass bowlery.”
True.
The problem is that no “big ups” are directly affected by this zr / psv nonsense.
You can become insensitive to the environment outside your tinted window,air conditioned,soft suspension luxury vehicle.
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What a load of crap. Pandor you and the lot can protect your corrupt setup and shove it!
One-year permits only, says Pandor
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@Tea Bush
Hmmmmm smack on the lips. That’s for telling it like it is. Hope your woman or whatever the shite it is do not get vex at me for kissing you. At least my mouth clean and tongue pink.
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But what is most disturbing in this issue is the fact that the student who was seriously injured in the recent ZR accident, which subsequently led to her hand being amputated, may not be eligible for compensation. Especially under the circumstances that the van may have been overloaded.
Another thing that amazed me was it took a serious accident and 7 years for Michael Lashley and previous transport ministers to realize the existing legislation enacted by the BLP was weak.
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@Artax
Is it fair to say it has taken 7 years for the MOT to amend the existing legislation. He promised yesterday the legislation should be ready for tabling in September 15.
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@Artax, defintely a LOL moment re “I was fortunate to be near the bus stop one morning …and heard a girl asked him if he was going to catch the approaching mini bus… He told her, in a “semi angry” tone, “You mad? Dem does drag, you want me get work late?”
The lack of integrity and hypocrisy of our societies is colossal.
All of the governments have deliberately whiffed on this problem because as your character said while he was a conductor “the men looking to mek a dollar fuh duh family.” That and the fact that these operators were primarily black businessmen created a laissez-faire attitude of punishment. Surely it can be said that various Transport ministers made the right noises and seemingly tried to establish punitive measures to curb the lawlessness over the years but the Minibus Assoc presidents (many empowered politically) pushed back steadfastly over these many years and thus to what avail were any punitive sanctions
Davis’s article would have been just as powerful 25 years ago So as he alludes to how the hell can our authorities allow this to continue UNLESS THEY (we) LIKE IT SO.
@David, it is true that murders get bail but aren’t they different classes of murderers?
This driver due to his obvious reckless actions can be labelled an attempted MASS murderer. So I see the mess as being the fact they he will likely get his bail and probably be driving some other vehicle in the not too distant future.
How many years has this dynamic of suspending the DL of the perpetual offensive drivers been debated… Of suspending the operational license of the owner etc etc.?
Indeed a mess…one of lack of will and political expediency.
As usual its a case of the foxes guarding the hen house. How many political operative, ministers’ friends or clients own ZRs or mini-buses? They like it so.
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@ SSS
mmmmmm
Bushie got THAT!!
@ David
If you understand the ‘basic problem’ that affected Guyana; that affects Trinidad ; .. that is not often seen in the OECS; but has been increasingly impacting Barbados in the last 15 years…you would associate this chairman with ‘others’ who have increasing influence in insurance, medical facilities, ZR ownership and politics….
Different peoples have different personalities and different characteristics…
Those whose natural inclination is to bribe and be bribed tend to have a field day among brass bowls….
those that have eyes to see will see…
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@Bush Tea
Understood, BU refers to it as the Blair Haynes Kiko syndrome.
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Any Minister of government or leader of any Transport body can try to create discipline buy law and moral persuasion but you cant legislate the behaviour of people. Futhermore many passengers encourage this type of behaviour on the road and those that dont quiver in fear of speaking out for they will be cursed by the operators and even some passengers. One morning I was in a ZR and it was playing some of the most nasty lyrics. A lady complained, especially because there was little school kids in the bus. And she was told off not by the conductor nor driver but by a mother who had her kid with her. She told the lady “Wunna does know the ZRs play this sort of music, and still catch it”. Sad.
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@Kevin
You are always the apologist. A PSV owner made the excellent suggestion today, fine passengers as well who flout the law. So many simple initiatives we can execute to reduce the lawlessness. Fire ministers and Permanent Secretaries who fail to arrest the problems.
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the best safety device on a zr is a rear view mirror with a cop in it.
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On the subject of PSVs, minister of finance informed the nation children it was a matter of national security that informed the decision to allow students in uniform to ride public transport for free. We have heard from the minister of education there is a move to pull back from free bus rides. The public and taxpayers deserves more detail minister Sinckler. Note we have not inquired about your reported death threats.
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David June 12, 2015 at 9:32 AM #
“Is it fair to say it has taken 7 years for the MOT to amend the existing legislation. He promised yesterday the legislation should be ready for tabling in September 15.”
Please note, I specifically stated that “it took a serious accident and 7 years for Michael Lashley and previous transport ministers to REALIZE THE EXISTING LEGISLATION ENACTED BY THE BLP WAS WEAK.
I never stated it has taken them 7 years TO AMEND the existing legislation.
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@Artax
Forgive the ignorance here, why would the government seek to amend the legislation if it was not deficient?
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Gov’ts come, Gov’ts go, Ministers come, Ministers go, what hasn’t changed is reckless ZR drivers ( and reckless private drivers too) and indifferent application of road safety laws in Barbados.
So far no one has mentioned that Thompson’s attempt to move students to other forms of public transportation seems to be ill-fated. There is a hue and cry because of the injury sustained by the young student which will be forgotten very shortly except by her friends and immediate family, soon things will revert to normal.
Diarize this a year from today and if things have changed I’ll eat my hat (which I don’t possess).
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Kevin, you’re quite correct in stating that we cannot legislate the behavious of people, but we could send a strong message of deterrent which ought to make some irresponsible people stop and consider the consequences to be had. You will always find that 1% who think that their can test the limits of the law. In Barbados I am afraid to say: this strong of message of deterrent, often comes by the way of a good beating by some of the legal criminals -who now constitutes the common stock of CID today.
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Sargeant wrote ” what hasn’t changed is reckless ZR drivers ( and reckless private drivers too) and indifferent application of road safety laws in Barbados.”
That is the PROBLEM.
I used to visit Barbados 3 or 4 times a year and every time I observed the lawlessness of the ZR culture.
As long as big ups or their children don’t get injured or die the bullspit will continue.
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yes. the laws need to be enforced.bajans used the roads when driving as to comparable to those of internacional higways it seems as if bajans delight in speeding to their death.only of recent. a young girl met an untimely death when she was thrown from theback of a motocycle .the números accidents that have occured in recent shows the lack of respect bajans have for the rule of law even when it is detrimental to their well being
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Here we go again. Well just 7 more days to go before we get off the bus.
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A public campaign which focuses fundamentally on the dangers of reckless and irresponsible driving is obviously needed to heighten the public awareness. And this should attach the attention of some the ZR van drivers, we obviously hope.
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If you want the ZR’s to slow down let the drivers know that what they are doing is an actual job. If it is like the rest of the island once it gets out driving is work you will be able to pass them on a pedal bike.
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Some of you have no idea how entrenched the sub culture of lawlessness has become in Barbados. This issue is not about the PSVs, it is about the breakdown of law and order and an erosion of the social fabric of our society.
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Are we pretending that we don’t know why these people are driving as they do? Well let me enlighten you as I have been enlightened. These men are not employees, they are independent contractors. They are required to rent the minibus or ZR for somewhere in the region of $300.00 – $400.00 per day. In order to make a living, they have to clear the owner’s share and then hustle for the rest which is then split between the driver and conductor after the cost of diesel is deducted. The owner sits back and collects. In most cases the money collected is not declared for tax purposes so the ZR owner can cry to the government for concessions and rebates on the cost of gas or diesel. Perhaps we should ask the all important question who owns and operates these ZRs. When we answer that question honestly, perhaps we will see why no serious attempt will ever be made at regulation.
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While a seeming solution for these issues having “a policeman in your rear view mirror” while desirable, is not possible or is it?
In 2007 the Faculty of Social Sciences developed a solution for the Ministry of Transportation and Works whose focus was to promote a Transportation Solution for the GoB, one which would have done a few things for the Government, inclusive of generating about $60M a year for MTW. (I can provide the Business Plan and the financials for the offering if you want)
FSS had, as part of its proposal gotten LIME, the other dispensation before this group of ***, to underwrite the six million dollar solution as part of a B.O.L.T arrangement that would have generated monies for the MTW, monies for the FSS Cave Hill Campus and of course LIME was going to get some of that money.
I am not going to comment on what happened to that project but I will say this.
Part of the proposal dealt with “How are you Driving our schoolchildren and my child?” and proposed a system where not only (i) MTW knew if cars/vehicles on the road were licensed (ii) how fast the PSVs were driving but (iii) it they were off route etc.
We had proposed that the PSV owners who wanted to be part of this system, a system which would let a bus/ZR passenger look at their smart phone and see when to go and stand by the bus pole, and one which would have been linked to (i) the MTW and Police (for enforcement) (ii) the Transport Authority (for oversight) AND THE PSV OWNERS (who would know if their employees were compliant)!
In addition to getting LIME fund the Electronic Vehicle Registration, we had gotten (i) a local bank to commit to funding loans for the equipment for the PSVs and (ii) had gotten an insurance company to commit to discounting the premium of any PSV that had the equipment installed.
The rationale of the insurance company was that the equipment acted as a deterrent since it showed how fast the buses were going, who was COMPLIANT and who was breaking the law. For them it affected their bottom line -increased their profitability and decreased insurance payouts.
Well suffice it to say we are in 2015 and nothing has happened since 2007 We have seen one administration change though (the BLP was in power when the proposal was first floated)
Computers were bought, software was bought, all sorts of pretty equipment was bought by the agencies involved and here we are, these many years hence and nothing has changed.
If it were the on or daughter of a politician or somebody who was a big up in the system who was injured in that bus something would have happened.
But, and this is with all due respect to the parents of the child whose hand was amputated, and the other schoolchildren injured in the bus, their children do not take bus nor ZR so these problems ARE NOT OF ANY PASSING INTEREST to this segment of our society.
Until the haute society start to suffer and feel this pain that we in the ghettoes are encountering every day, it WILL NOT mean idly squat.
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Look this isn’t rocket science, when someone driving a zr, bus, taxi etc is caught speeding ,not obeying rules of the road etc discipline the vehicle as well as the driver. Suspend the vehicle license, impound the vehicle for a time and put it through a mandatory inspection before it can go back on the road paid for by the owner. It wont take long for the speeds to slow , the owners will take less of a cut rather than get nothing at all in the zr case . But enforcement is the key.
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@Lawson
Of course the solution is simple but we have to look deeper at the ownership of these lethal missiles on our roads.
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David, then the breakdown of the moral tapestry of society must have begun some thirty years ago. Because as a town-man who used to ride the ZR vans quite frequently as a youth. I saw the same attitude projected then, as we are experiencing it now.
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Here is my solution.The ZR DRIVER must be the OWNER.
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Wuh ’bout indiscipline in cricket or politics, at the top.
We got too many short men in this team.
As expected the WI will be again 2/1 within 3 days, by a very weak Aussie team. Score 77/5
Surely, it must be time to cut off the head of a general to send a clear message to the rank and file. Those ‘generals’ should be the members of the Board.
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@ Gabriel June 12, 2015 at 4:58 PM
“Here is my solution. The ZR DRIVER must be the OWNER.”
And that, my friend, was the original objective behind the granting of those ZR permits.
To provide a form of self-employment to small business persons to ‘complement’ the public transport capacity. Corrupt politicians and senior bureaucrats have used the ZR permit regime as a source of kickbacks and pork barrel politics.
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111 for 5 Pacha. Keep the faith.
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@ Davidweekes
Boss, Bushie will try to explain to you in very simple terms, why your tail will ALWAYS be in hot water in Barbados.
Your (FSS) solution to the transport problem was doomed from the very start. Bushie could have saved wunna a lotta time, money and stress….
Brass bowls are not motivated by high tech….will never be …. unless um is a TV to soak in white people’s soap dramas or cell phones to send X -rated pictures and videos to each other ….. and money to LIME….
…besides, if a fellow can’t even comprehend BASIC concepts, how the hell will he be able to institute complex, real-time, operating systems for transport management?
LOL ….any bets wunna did NOT factor in any bribes in the project….
for example…
Cuh shiite…. The HONOURABLE minister has been on the news ALL DAY expressing great shock and surprise that ZR permits can be ‘transferred’…. and claiming to be looking at …LOOKINGF AT …legislation to prohibit such transfers in a manner similar to the Free hold tenantries act.
OH SHIITE MAN….did he not see this weakness when they were constructing the laws?
….. Is he a real real lawyer?
….. has he not been THE person responsible for regulations for years now?
….. and only after a major incident did he notice this defect?
….. wuh EVERYBODY else knows that political yardfowls acquire these permits via their contacts (mostly with the Minister) and then sell them at good profit to undesirables who would otherwise be too ashamed to even apply….
Any Intelligent minister would have been too ashamed to make such an admission in public… fortunately for him, the press is even more dense than he is….. so no one asked….
Man DavidW, sometimes there are jokers who are so retarded that you just CAN’T help them…no matter ho much you would like too…..
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David
The moral-decadance of the Barbadian society took root many decades ago, and not quite recent as some seems to suggest. The only problem is, it was hidden from the general public.
1) Child-Sexual- Abuse was prevalent then as it is today. I knew of one police officer who was quite higher up in ranks, and he used to messed with the little girls back in my day. And was actually confronted by some the mothers of these kids, but forty years ago those in positions of authority looked the other way as far as such allegations were concern .
2) Police corruption was prevalent then as it is today. I knew of one deceased CID detective son back in the day who used to robbed the tourist blind. And every time the fellas from the CID would arrested this guy, he would called his mother would in turn would call a higher up in ranks. And this higher up would instructed the fellas at the CID in no uncertain terms, to released this deceased detective son. And as fate would have it, he would turn around the next day and rob the tourists again. This cycle of looking the other way went on for a very long time before this kid was finally arrested and jailed. I knew the kid quite well because the both of us attended the annual Police Christmas Party for many years, but somehow his father’s death pushed him over the edge.
3) Tourist were widely raped and robbed in Barbados back in the day, but for the sake of tourism these incidences were hidden from the press and general public. I remember quite vividly back in the early 1970’s, when this beautiful blond hair Bristish tourist came to the police station and reported to detectives that she had been raped repeated for several days by these three criminals from the Bush Hall area. And what stuck in my mind as a kid, is what the tourist woman said to the police detectives that day: She said: that she did mind the sex, but it was too much. And finally, my long association with police, availed me the experiences which the Barbadian public would not have known.
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and while they at it suspend the drunk drivers license on the spot when they get caught, this unfortunate accident might be the straw that finally broke the camels back, hopefully it is a wake up call to barbadians to call on govt to enforced the laws with stiff penalties and jail time,
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It is interesting to reflect since the change of governments what has changed. Twiddle D and Twiddle B.
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yes if barbadians were serious about a change this kind of disrepect for law and order could not have been allowed to go one for these many years,there is a history of lawlessness at the root of this problem along with citizens closing their eyes to such problems until hell broke loss , as expected one can hear the keepers of the gate who had the control for fourteen years wiping their hands clean of the crime,
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AC, one would have thought that stiff penalities and long jail time would have been the magic pill, but unfortunately, people still continue to drive drunk and reckless, irrespective of these intended deterrents. So the more effective solution is to sensitize the public awareness to the issues of drunk-and reckless driving, by educating it on the possible dangers and consequences to be had in terms of human life.
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@ ac June 12, 2015 at 7:07 PM
There you go again! Blaming an administration that has been out of office for the past 7 years.
How many serious accidents involving ZR’s and minibuses have taken place during the last 5 years?
Haven’t the current and previous Minister of Transport promised an updated Road Traffic Act with regulations with teeth for the last 5 years? Every September this mercurial piece of legislation is supposed to be debated in Parliament. Last year a similar promise was made; with breathalyzer provisions to boot.
But then again any effective piece of legislation would force the owners to obey the regulations and make it difficult for both the minister and his top officials from receiving their bit on the side.
Come on, ac, would you prepared to let your son drive a ZR registered vehicle (unless you are the owner)?
How come we don’t see women driving these vehicles? Maybe you should initiate a campaign to get women to start driving ZR’s. We are sure things could only get better. Less risky behavior on the roads, less accidents, right ac?
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shit i rode in them and let me tell you i had no problem,the driver was not speeding .stop at his designated stops and yes there was music but nothing loud and boisterous,. but then again there are rotten apples in every barrel ..and the job of weeding out the rotten apples is just as significant as apply the laws,
when some of these drivers get before the judges they ask for mercy from the court the court gives way in part because of their sad sap stories connected to family stories,
what needs to be done before these guys become fully license is that they must past a test of their capabilities to do with basic knoweldge of people to people relationship, one way of weeding out the black sheep,
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Just a little distraction.
Imagine Minister Myrie visiting Barbados.
http://www.barbadostoday.bb/2015/06/12/myrie-running-for-politics/
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I have read Nelson Mandela’s book called: The Long Walk To Freedom, several years ago. And the one thing that has stayed imprinted on my mind from that entire book, are these few immortal words that he had written with much conviction: ” Penalty does not deter a man, when his conscience has been aroused.” So rules and regulations can go, but so far, but when man a is bent on doing wrong, no metaphysical constraints whether divine or secular, will deter his actions.
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But AC
How you could have things to weed out and you aint call Bushie.
Nuh weeding can’t happen ’bout hey unless the whacker is on duty. LOL
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If I may employ the Hebrew Sriptures as an authority to eluciate a point not quite related to the topic before deliberation? But in the book of Jeremiah 17:9 to be precise, it is written: the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it.
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Many on this forum are quick to cut you down when mention is made of how things were done back in the 60’s/70’s,but these are the same people who have no qualms in quoting long dead people of the Shakespeare, Milton and Aristotle et al eras.
Perhaps in trying to come to terms with the indiscipline in the Public Service Vehicle business, we may need to research and quote how private concessionaires, such as Mrs Rock of the Rocklyn Bus Co and Mr Coward,of the Boston and Elite ,and even Captain Hill of the Transport Board, were able to keep their employees in check.
We can never advanced, if we do not know from whence we came. Ask any Bajan trying to read a road map.
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Who cares about Myrie ,hants you can tell myrie go cah she a,ss, She collect she millions from barbados nobody cares or want to hear news good bad or in differentiate about myrie, jamaica needs myrie like they need a hole in the head,, steupseee
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@Kevin
You are right in your observation. The problem is a two fold street. Commuters do not speak out because they are very much aware that many things that should be dealt with in Barbados are allowed to continue.
MIchael Lashley will look like he is about to do something but a few more months or even weeks down the road, when the hype of this accident wean thin, the PSV operators will continue to do the same shite.
Tentacles from on high run too deep in the PSV operation for the dangerous hustle to be halted forthwith. It will take the darn commuting public to put up a stance against bad operators but Barbados is a society that tolerates wrong
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David June 12, 2015 at 11:44 AM #
“Forgive the ignorance here, why would the government seek to amend the legislation if it was not deficient?”
David BU, I don’t understand where you are going with this issue. I’m not questioning “why would the government seek to amend the legislation if it was not deficient.”
My point is, this mini bus issue was a perennial problem for a number of years, spanning the terms of both BLP and DLP administrations. Drivers, passengers, pedestrians, motor-cyclists, bicyclists, police and ordinary citizens, have been complaining on a DAILY basis about the behaviour and dangerous road usage of PSV operators.
Probably, the only person who has not complained is the man on the “Cream of Wheat” box.
Being a lawyer, Lashley would have had to peruse the existing legislation in relation to the various complaints the Transport Ministry received, to avail himself of the laws contained therein, and identify what legal action could be taken against any violations perpetrated by these operators.
He would have also examined the legislation to make amendments, for example, wearing of uniforms and implementing, on trial basis, a system whereby the private PSVs plying the northern routes would be facilitated in the Transport Board’s Speightstown terminal.
To put it simple, Lashley is a driver, he would have observed the unruly behaviour of some of the PSV operators. Any proactive minister would have said, “Man, look, these men doing a lot ah shiite pun de road, which may lead to serious injury or somebody gine ded. Let me go and look at this legislation to see how come dese men did getting way wid this foolishness fuh suh much years, and mek some changes.”
I am just a bit puzzled that he would wait until a serious accident occurred to say the existing legislation is weak. I believe it’s a “cop out” just like Sinckler saying the waste haulers tipping fee was in existence before 2008.
But as Fractured BLP mentioned, I’m the epitome of an imbecile.
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Sunshine Sunny Shine June 13, 2015 at 7:51 AM #
“MIchael Lashley will look like he is about to do something but a few more months or even weeks down the road, when the hype of this accident wean thin, the PSV operators will continue to do the same shite. Tentacles from on high run too deep in the PSV operation for the dangerous hustle to be halted forthwith.”
SSS, you right, yuh. Leh we face reality, in Babadus everybody knows everybody.
Typical scenario; a MP (BLP or DLP) is given the Transport Ministry’s portfolio. He peruses the list of PSV owners and discovers some interesting facts. He says to himself, “Wuh, shiite, wuh uh gine do, muh hands tie:
George does support de party and does give we free transportation;
A lot ah my colleagues own nuff mini buses and ZRs;
Bob is we boy and get he permits when we did in power de last time;
Mahmood and dem is good Indians, dem does donate to my campaign and de party;
Mike ZRs doan really belong to he, he is de front man fuh Shakky who pun de opposition, and yuh know all ah we politicians gots to look out fuh each other;
My aunt son owns 4 mini buses;
Dipwolla and sum mo poeple tell me if I get permits fuh dem, duh gine grease muh hand;
De police, judges, and nuff, nuff big boys own dese vans, yuh;
If I enforce legislation, not only would my people get squeeze, the some other people might not like it and I gine lose votes and might even lose muh seat, plus we party might get vote out.
Shiite, I gine got to tread real, real soft. Look, leh me keep some noise to mek de people feel ah doing sumting. When sumting cum up again, keep some mo noise until um die doan again.
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However you twist it Artax both political parties are complicit in this PSV scam ongoing for over 30 years. This issue is not about Lashley and we all know it.
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David June 13, 2015 at 8:39 AM #
“However you twist it Artax both political parties are complicit in this PSV scam ongoing for over 30 years. This issue is not about Lashley and we all know it.”
You have wrongfully accused me of “twisting.”
It seems as though, for reasons known only to you, you have DELIBERATELY chosen to ignore the following statement in my 7:57 am contribution:
“My point is, this MINI BUS ISSUE was a PERENNIAL PROBLEM FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, SPANNING THE TERMS OF BOTH BLP and DLP administrations…”,
The above excerpt CLEARLY indicates that I have ACKNOWLEDGED “BOTH political parties are complicit in this PSV scam ongoing for over 30 years.”
However, as you would often state in circumstances SIMILAR to this matter, Michael Lashley IS THE MINISTER at this stage, and NOT the previous ministers who spanned the 30 year period you alluded to.
Yes, we all agree that this ongoing PSV concern should not have been allowed to continue thus far, but, unfortunately it has. And surely you must agree it seems as though Lashley was continuing to “walk in the footsteps” of previous transport ministers, because the lawlessness has been occurring under his watch as well.
As such, since the Ministry of Transport is Lashley’s RESPONSIBILITY in 2015, the onus is on him to “put wrong things right.”
STOP COMPLAINING, IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE!
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@David,
I do not know who own PSVs but I figured the owners must be well connected.
The lawlessness I observed during frequent trips to Barbados was telling.
I have seen a PSV going around Quaco Bob corner with the rear wheel grinding on the rim.
They also drive at speeds to suit their “game plan”. I have been on PSVs that travelled at 20kph with clear road ahead.
This problem may have been ongoing for 30 years but it can be solved in a few months. The DLP has an opportunity to fix the problem for the good of the many at the expense of the few.
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@ Hants June 13, 2015 at 9:39 AM
“This problem may have been ongoing for 30 years but it can be solved in a few months”
As I have argued on previous blogs regarding this madness nothing meaningful is going to happen to bring discipline to this sector until one or two “white” tourists are seriously injured or killed in an incident (not accident) involving these ZRs and a multi-million dollar law suit is filed against the GoB.
Barbados can never class itself as a “developed” country as long as the level of indiscipline and blatant refusal by its citizens to obey basic rules and regulations prevail so openly.
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The blp had made inroads years ago in cleaning up the PSVs. Corruption, negligence and nepotism laid waist to the good ground work laid.
David Weekes’ post using mobile cellular technology can work, combined with cameras.
You see, use of legislation will help, but enforcement with limited resources makes it a nightmare.
The stakeholders involved are the insurance companies, mtw, police, owners, travelling public, drivers and conductors.
The issues are public safety, high insurance costs and expenses, hustling to make a profit, high costs due to negligence, lack of resources for proper enforcement.
Solution for all of these issues would be cameras in all psvs combined with mobile monitoring, with police and inspectors auditing the system periodically. The owners would not need to wonder if they ar getting their due or what the operators are doing.
The insurance companies would need the surveillance for reduced premiums and determination of liability.
The public would be held responsible for their actions as well as the operators creating a level playing field.
Make
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There are three things that CANNOT BE LEGISLATED (i) Integrity (ii) Vision and (iii) Just Plain Common Sense.
As a country we find ourselves at that untenable cusp where we are in an uproar regarding the breach of a promise by the existing administration regarding integrity legislation.
Throughout this country we have been hearing the constancy of a cry for people of vision since Errol Walton Barrow.
And I will not waste any time commenting on the fact that common sense is not so common barring saying that if a set of people will, in the face of things that work for the good of our country, punish the messenger, well then it speaks for itself
@ Iwatcha
You are promoting what is an archaic backbone for GPS when you speak to cellular transmissions
It was our proposal to use the cheaper radio based signal to automatically broadcast location, speed, and other information to fixed antennas for which the UWI and MTW only needed a Ham license.
Unlike the situation where I am reliably informed that buses were displayed parked in Weymouth while driving all over the country we would arrive at the following situation.
One. A passenger walking to a bustop two minutes before the bus, ZR or ZM arrived at the stop, instead of the 2 hours standing at the stop at Sudden Hill waiting on the Transport Board Bus that is supposed to come at 2 o’clock and the fancy brochure that the Minister shakes in front of the cameras, meaningless brochures that costed several thousands of dollars to print.
@ Mr. MillertheAnnunaki
Two. You speak to a practice which others have mentioned made many a minister a millionaire during his tenure. I do not know if such occurred and as persona non grata I would be really stupid to say anything which is libellous and results in any minister getting me arrested.
Of one thing I can be sure they would hear my libel case much faster than the eight years it has taken them to hear my CARICOM Case 190 of 2007.
“2 into one cannot go borrow a “0” and make it ten, two into ten is .5″ (Emily Ronalds or any other teacher you want to quote)
You intimate that the routes are oversaturated with “too many ZR drivers” on a route and, having plotted the 243 bus stops on the Bush Hall Route, I can attest that 100 mini buses on that route makes it impossible for any single operator to make decent money on that route
Solution?
“Route Harmonization”
It is a simple? procedure where you determine the number of travellers using the public and public transport system, where do people live, how regularly they use the buses, (frequency) which routes are over subscribed and which are under subscribed, where does it make sense to create “transfer points and hubs” etc
If 40K travellers live along Bush Hall, Jackson, Redman Village and Cave Hill and such can be serviced profitably by 1000 minibuses, COMMON SENSE woUld Dictate that 2000 minibuses in these zones is a recipe for ANARCHY.
The survey determined that 100K utilise our public transportation on a daily basis.
Once we had determined the routes/frequency/ridership patterns etc., one only needs to know how many buses are where and what is the need and thereafter apportion the routes on a FIFO (first in First Out) basis
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@David Weekes
.
Thank you for pointing out that for me. Note that the technology has advanced quite a bit since your study and even smart phones are capable of the same functions. “There is an app for that”
There is at least one company here that offers GPS fleet management as well.
Not knocking your proposal at all.
Just that it does not cover graft, lawlessness and safety completely. I think that both radio & video monitoring systems should be used in tandem.
Many buses in the US use wireless networking.to connect to their base once back at the depot… they keep the recorded video for a period and provide footage to police if required. Although this system is mostly for liability coverage, it has great potential for solving our problems here.
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Hants 9.39 am
I have heard it is called Culpepper Corner.
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You just cannot just suspend the owner’s permit which is a licence similar to the gun licence. This too will end up in court. We don’t need anymore laws to discipline the drivers. What we need is enforcement of the laws
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The ministers of commerce,housing,constituency councils have been calling for a class of local entrepreneurs.Here is your opportunity to create such a class,spread the wealth of the nation and reduce the gimme,gimme class.The OWNER MUST HAVE A CLEAN POLICE CERTIFICATE OF CHARACTER,A VALID LICENSE TO OPERATE THAT CLASS OF VEHICLE AND MUST BE THE DRIVER AT ALL TIMES.NO IFS,ANDS NOR BUTS.I guarantee the Government can score political points if they put this simple measure in place.By the way,I thought schoolchildren were not supposed to ride on ZR’s.And you the Government using that as an excuse to burden taxpayers by taking away existing tax breaks and increasing taxes on every conceivable service you can think of.You poor rakey lot.I hope bajans get some sense in their heads and get you jokers out of our lives.
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millertheanunnaki June 13, 2015 at 9:57 AM #
Well said,Miller. From the time I came back to this country in the early 80’s I had been writing many a letter , probably 1500-2000 ,to the local newspapers not only pointing out the indiscipline of all road users,and especially PSV’S but also suggesting ways to improve the systems. 35 years on, there has been very little change. The alternative for rapid change , beside going the route of having a couple “touristes” killed,is to do like the government of the day ,in the early years when the Transport Board was first established. Bring down a retired policeman from the Metropolitan Police Force, or settle for a St John man to be the island Transport Supremo.
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Minister Michael Lashley was on the news tonight where he promised all sound equipment will be removed from PSVs.
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Hamilton Hill June 12, 2015 at 6:53 AM #
But Mr Hill , this was inevitable. Swan Street gone to them, followed by Roebuck Street, Baxters Road and Belleville. After the Minibuses and ZR vans it will be the Mini Marts all across the island. And, excluding Belleville, who have they purchased all of this lot from.
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balance June 12, 2015 at 6:56 AM #
They also have a dangerous practice of off loading passengers and allowing them to cross in front of the minivan oblivious to traffic about to overtake the stationary vehicle and they and the stupid alighting passengers whose lives they are placing in danger curse you too when you draw the dangerous practice to their attention.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
And moreso at nights when the PSV of which the passengers have just de-bussed, has on its headlight, blinding the drivers of oncoming traffic,making it impossible to see the now pedestrians , crossing the road.
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@Gabriel,
Quaco Bob was what we called the S bend by what is now the Cliff restaurant in Paynes / Derricks.
That corner separated the “men from the boys” back in the days when some of us were wild and reckless. lol
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I remember with great admiration when Police Officer Teether, who former Commissioner of Police Durant fired for misconducted, Station Sergeant Greenidge, and Inspector Blazes who now heads the Motorcycle Division of the Royal Barbados Police Force, used to keep the pressure on the ZR vans drivers back in the day. But gone are those good days when ZR van drivers hated, respected and feared these three police officers at the same time.
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Someone said quite recently that: we are witnessing a moral -decadance of the Barbadian society, but I would hazard an educated guess that this moral-decadance had been set in motion several decades ago. Here is one prime examlpe of this moral breakdown of the tapestry of the Barbadian society: now, we are raising an irreligious generation of young people who haven’t been taught the value of hardwork, the Golden Rule respect for the law, respect for their elders, and we somehow expect these young people to act the think as though their have common-sense and moral-directionality. Man wunnah crazy as Hell. I do understand however, that gone are the days of do as I say, but not as I do, but we still ought to be able to put some of importance in the heads of these young people today . And stop this whole heap of entitlement which is killing the work- ethic in these young people today. And finally, while we are at it, teach them that it is sheer -ignorance for them to have to pull their pants up from beneath their knees a hundred times in one minute.
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The ZR culture as we term it is all about greed. The greed starts at the top where it is alleged that owners have to bribe someone in the MOT (minister perhaps?) to facilitate a permit. That permit is the leased at about $250 to $450 per day depending on the vehicle (ZR or minibus) so you see where we are today?
This culture can be cleaned up within six (6) months but apparently the will, political or otherwise, is not there.
Start by suspending the license of the driver for one month in the first instance as well as the permit of the owner. At least we can start there but another problem will arise. That owner will make a call to some big-up somewhere and within a day that vehicle is back on the road. Of course that call will accompany a few dollars to grease the hands of the said big-up. That is the nature of greed.
All of what is happening now is a result of the inherent corruption which everyone claims does not exist bout hey. Gimme a break. We have long lost our moral compass
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@ Sea Egg
You must be looking into the halls of the Transport Authority with their staffing and that “grease my palm” practice that you are talking about..
This is probably why any tool/technology which can confirm that a fellow is speeding, or off route or breking de rules ent going get support far less implemented.
(Dear AC, note that the term is far less and not fatherless…somebody tell me that you does be in de Senate but i did axe DEM “Sen it whey”? Between me and you you ent Irene is you??
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Gline Clarke and Johnny Tudor
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or anudder tem for men who mek millions while dem was minister by selling ***
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@ pdyr
i do remember u calling my attention to the word Fatherless as a correction , if my memory serves me correct i wrote the word “fartherless ” with the letter( “r” the third letter in the word ) in context to the content of what i was saying, however i did not use the word ‘fatherless” but rather fartherless which should have been separated, or hyphenated… in future please do not accuse me or put words in my mouth to support your ignorant attacks on ac.
Now ABC DE and ammmm u can finish the rest of the alphabet in its correct order ole man.
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@ AC
Whuloss…you is one uh de intelligent trio..you actually went back and look at de spelling.
PLEASEEEEE do all uh we a favour and go back and change de password to de BU login fuh AC de ingrunt one,,,dat is to say Irene,,,while she ent looking PLEASEEEE,
At least I kin tek you on but she whuloss man she real foolish man,,,as man… doan mind dat you does support de DLP en ting at least you got sense man…as one man to a nex man,,,change de password man…
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@ PDYR U ignoramus the first time u brought up the non-issue i ignored but since u wanted to kick more dirt in ac’s eyeball i accepted the challenge this time around ,,, as a matter of Fact i cannot recall where i made the comment or where u saw the word but this i know that your inclination to make a fool of ac backfired in your ugly face ,,now Rover up and finish the homework as i am inclined to give you an F, ole man
in the meantime trying to figure this puzzle out ,,,A is for A..hole.. B is for boring C is for c,,t, D is for di..c head all of which applies to you,
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On the subject of indiscipline. A while back there was a hula baloo, and some snarling over the placement of flood lights on the Garrison to facilitate ,night racing. These lights , those objecting said , would destroy the ambiance and settings of the World Heritage Site.
In the heart of this World Heritage Site can now be found, in what is known as Brigade House, a Pork Lime place of entertainment,with all the attendant noises etc etc. Where are the objectors now?
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Let us hope suspending the permit in this case sets the bar and the expectation. We suspect NOT!
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Suspend is temporary. Revoke is permanent. For how long will this permit be suspended? I’d surely like to know
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