Chaos @BRSA

Posted on by

The traffic situation on our roads can be described as being in a state of organized chaos. Successive governments have adopted a laissez-faire approach to traffic management and regrettably the Barbados Police Force (BPS) must be included as part of the problem. The lawlessness being witnessed daily on the roads in Barbados many argue is a symptom of something bigger. 

The Barbados Transport Authority was established in 2007 to (a) undertake the planning of the transport system, (b) monitor and regulate the operations of the public transport system, among many other functions listed under the Transport Authority Act which was recently amended. A conclusion can be made based on what transpires daily on our roads the Transport Authority is a another failed government agency leaking taxpayer money.

Against a background of the organized chaos which describes our inability to effectively and efficiently manage our transportation system, recent developments at the Barbados Road Safety Association Association (BRSA) should be of public concern. BRSA according to its website is “a non profit, non governmental association that aims to educate the general public on all matters pertaining to road safety and to do all possible to assist with campaigns, courses, publications, laws and driver/pedestrian/cyclist attitudes to promote road safety for safer roads to safe lives”. Although a private entity registered at CAIPO as a non profit entity, its inability to efficiently function because of internal conflict between the various actors is again symptomatic of a development of poor management.

ComplaintDownload

For many years the face of the BRSA was its ‘former’ President Shermane Roland-Bowen. However in November 2022 Roland-Bowen resigned from the post. It appears between then and now Roland-Bowen has assumed a position of Executive Director and her successor a Mr. Michael Brathwaite usurped. The reason given is that there were election breaches which occurred at the AGM held on the 18 March 2023. Several documents were received by the blogmaster, the above summarizes the matter from the perspective of the usurped.

The BRSA like many other non profit organizations registered at CAIPO collects donations from the public and it is therefore important that it be perceived as being ‘fit and proper’ to carry out its mandate as outlined in its Constitution. It would be interesting to get a report from Oral Reid who acted as a Teller at the election of officers to understand from his perspective given his independent role the alleged breaches that occurred leading to the reemergence of former Sharmane Roland-Bowen.

14 thoughts on “Chaos @BRSA”


  1. The laissez-faire system, letting the people do as they wish, French in origin, but the dominant system in England once, could hardly be appropriately ascribed to traffic in Little England even on the day the country’s new king is coronated.😄

    Indeed, most things about traffic in Barbados are micromanaged. From the importation, the high import taxes, insurances, road taxes, gasoline taxes, filling of pot holes, the driving licencing regime, driving schools, policing. All the structures!

    Certainly, there are no known historical moments where a laissez-faire system and an elected dictatorship coexisted.

    Reply ↓

  2. We see Vonda Pile has been tracfficed into jail and now back into law.

    This level of traffic is licenced and must be interfering with the desirable traffic of resources into economy.

    Heavy traffic!

    Reply ↓
    • Yolande Grant - African Online Publishing Copyright )c) 2023. All Rights Reserved. on said:

      Situation is critical, and if not voiced, the pretenders and their accolites will pretend it’s not happening.

      What a missed opportinity, an atrocity to not reveal who in the Black community are Slave master descents and everyone, including them, could heal and MOVE ON as a collective…but no, the population had to find out under the most horrendous circumstances….what an opportunity squandered….and lost forever…too self absorbed to put the matter to rest permanently and gain respect from those who are deserving to know…to heal ..

      And yes, i had to do my own healing over years, still ongoing.

    • Yolande Grant - African Online Publishing Copyright (c) 2023. All Rights Reserved. on said:

      They outdid themselves.

      Cant even find a speck of pretend to present.

      Ran out of sophistry and got dragged into REALITY..lawd….


  4. Jesus is Born
    Back to Life
    How ever do you want me
    How ever do you need me, how
    How ever do you want me
    How ever do you need me

    Reply ↓

  5. Poor old David of BU is always trying to up the game in Barbados..

    “But, all that we ever are is right now..”
    — Ra Of Earth Actionable Tips for Full Spectrum Life
    This breath work is awesome as well! The dynamics of this one is great. Has internal chanting with breath holds through the different sides of nostrils …

    Reply ↓

  6. David Every week, between the hours of approximately 11 am and 2pm, from Monday to Friday, minibus drivers drive at ‘5 miles an hour,’ from Eagle Hall to Speightstown, via Highway 1, thereby impeding the free flow of traffic. This annoying activity, called “DRAGGING,” has been on going for several years.

    Reply ↓

    • @Artax

      Who should we blame? Should passengers be held entirely blameless? We are an indisciplined society but enforcement whether in the topic at hand, penalizing individuals and corporations from littering, disbarring attorneys, the story is the same.


  7. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.

    Every shit is a scam or has a scam attached as this fellow found out.

    Reply ↓

  8. It is amusing to listen to these organizations unable to manage their own affairs calling on the public to be careful on the roads. It doesn’t work like that.

    Reply ↓

    • Unease in road safety body
      MEMBERS OF THE Barbados Road Safety Association (BRSA) appear to be on a collision course over who is in control of the organisation.
      Claims and counterclaims have been flying since March 18 when a new executive was supposedly elected during the BRSA’s annual general meeting and the names released to the public on March 28.
      But almost seven weeks after that event, another press release was issued this week with a different executive named and an invitation to a press conference today with the members of that steering committee.
      Salvo
      In the latest salvo, a 54-page press “response” dated May 9 and sent to media houses made accusations against founder of the BRSA Sharmane Roland-Bowen, who is a director and past president.
      That same lengthy document listed the executive as comprising president – Michael Brathwaite; first vice president – Francois Worrell and public relations officer – Kevin Corbin, among others from the March 18 elections.
      However, the press invitation from the steering committee issued on Monday and inviting the members of the media to a press conference has Roland-Bowen as the executive director. The new president is Roland
      Lowe and Erskine Cumberbatch is the public relations officer among others.
      Roland-Bowen told the DAILY NATION yesterday that a legal opinion was sought after it emerged that some things in the organisation’s constitution were not followed.
      “I have fought people in the past who wanted to use the BRSA for their personal gain but the BRSA is a non-profit organisation. We are here to help,” she said.
      “We have abandoned all fees, we have no membership fees, you only pay a $5 registration, because we want more people to be educated about road safety. We’ll not let $25 stop people from coming, not like others who want to double it. For us it is now just the registration.
      Numbers
      “In this time of technology we can educate people via Zoom with videos and in the chats.
      “The more people you have that have defensive driving or road safety awareness the safer the country. It has to happen in numbers,” she said.
      Roland-Bowen said that today she and others on the steering committee will speak about the plans for the BRSA and some of the charges levelled against her.
      Constitution
      Public relations officer Cumberbatch said the constitution had rules governing the
      association and they should be adhered to.
      “We decided to form a steering committee to direct the BRSA until elections can be held again,” he said.
      He claimed that the voting process had been impacted and hence the need for a steering committee.
      “The press conference is to inform the public of the persons who would be on the committee until elections are held. We consider the last one null and void,” he said.
      Meantime, the rival executive is questioning Roland-Bowen’s status to have a say in matters concerning the executive.
      It said the new directors resigned by letter from the BRSA and the letter was delivered to the newly elected president on March 18, 2023.
      The rival is also claiming there are attempts “to obstruct us from registering a similar business, which would assist us in running the association”.
      Similar name
      “Every name configuration we have attempted (keywords: safe, safety, street or road) have been manually reverted by CAIPO staff as ‘there is a similar name registered to the three proposed names filed – consent is required from the entity for approval of either name’.” (AC)

      Source: Nation


    • Call to provide Transport Authority with more inspectors
      ENFORCEMENT, enforcement and even more enforcement.
      That’s what Senator Pat Parris wants to see so that law and order can return to the Public Service Vehicle (PSV) sector.
      Speaking in the Senate yesterday, Parris called for immediate resources to be provided to the Transport Authority so it could hire enough inspectors to properly police the PSV sector.
      At the time senators were debating the Transport Authority Act (2023) which will give the Authority not only the power to regulate the industry but also revoke the licences of bad apples in the sector.
      The new legislation will also set fines for noncompliance, regulate the wearing of uniforms and provide best practices at the country’s PSV terminals.
      “For too long we have seen the level of indiscipline in the PSV sector. It’s a daily occurrence
      in Barbados and we see it in person and on social media. It was as if they were saying they have a licence to do this. They continue to do as they like and over the years, the Transport Authority was unable to properly enforce the Act,” she said while suggesting that should all change with the new regulations.
      “With these amendments, it will give the Transport Authority the power to finally bring back law and order to our roads,” she said.
      Parris added that she believes inspectors must ride on PSVs and collect data on the driving practices and overall behaviour of those employed in the industry. She said the presence of inspectors within terminals should also lead to smooth business for commuters who depend on the sector daily.
      The Government senator said the amendments should bring an overall positive change to the PSV sector since not all practitioners were indisciplined.
      “The penalties are needed. They will ensure that owners, drivers and conductors will all be held accountable,” Parris said.
      She bemoaned that there were now only two inspectors attached to the Transport Authority.
      “That is clearly not enough. I’m asking the Ministry of Transport and Works to make sure all of those vacancies for inspectors are filled. That is critical to bringing back law and order. We need them on the road, we need them in the terminals, and we need them in the vans,” she stressed.
      Parris said inspectors could also check on wait times in the various terminals where PSVs operate, and data collected could be provided to the Transport Authority so it could come up with ideas to improve efficiency in the sector.
      (BA)

      Source: Nation


    • Time to empower PSV workers
      THE TIME HAS COME for workers in the Public Service Vehicle (PSV) sector to see themselves as entrepreneurs and start accessing financial institutions to take the business of public transportation to a new level.
      According to Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Lisa Cummins, such empowerment of those employees could lead to an end to the extreme hustle to make a dollar at any cost, which has led to significant challenges on the country’s roads.
      Cummins made that suggestion during the first reading of the Transport Amendment Act (2023) in the Senate yesterday, where members debated the changes which are aimed at significantly improving the current environment of indiscipline and irresponsibility plaguing the sector.
      “I would want to see empowerment take place through small business,” Cummins, a former minister of tourism, suggested, adding that Barbados needs to bring its transportation sector into the “world-class” category, somewhat like
      what the island’s taxi system had evolved into.
      She noted that training taxi drivers and service providers to bolster the country’s overall tourism product had worked in the last few years.
      “We should be in the business of empowerment and enfranchisement for those who are functioning as employees. More importantly, it would resolve some of the hustle now seen. We have to be aware of the social exclusion which exists, and how it affects the PSV sector,” she told the Upper House.
      According to Cummins, it is unfortunate that in most instances Barbadians look down in a derogatory way at members of the PSV sector even though it’s only a few bad apples that make life difficult on the road. “That behaviour emanates from the daily hustle to make a living,” she said.
      “There is always a culture of hustle but what needs to be different is an environment that leads to a sustainable business practice. We need to evolve the sector beyond the need for a hustle. We need strict business models around public transportation.
      I would love to see drivers and conductors forming transportation cooperatives and building capital that can lead to generational
      wealth,” she told colleagues.
      Cummins noted that for the PSV sector to fulfil its potential, a coherent approach would be taken in conjunction with the transition of the Transport Authority as a regulatory body, and to align with the country’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions by 2030. (BA)

      Source: Nation

Leave a comment, join the discussion.