Tender for Fleet Insurance

Tenders are invited for the Insurance of the Transport Board’s fleet of 120 buses, from insurance companies only, with respect to Third Party Coverage for the entire fleet with a Special Type Comprehensive added for the electric buses only.

Click the link below to view/download the full tender.

Tender for fleet Insurance

Prime Minister Mottley: Pinning ID A Win-Win For All

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley pointed out that just over 220,000 Barbadians had already registered and picked up their new Trident ID cards. (FP)

The government’s requirement that certain categories of persons pin their Trident ID cards when travelling on public transport will provide a fair and transparent system for all stakeholders.

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley stated this as she explained that successive governments made provisions for the elderly, children in uniform, the disabled and police officers, to travel on Transport Board buses without charge.

She was speaking during a press conference called to address concerns by the public about the elderly being required to pin their Trident ID cards to continue riding freely on buses.

Ms. Mottley pointed out that just over 220,000 Barbadians had already registered and picked up their new Trident ID cards. The Prime Minister further stated that it was agreed that persons travelling on Transport Board buses would be allowed to use both their digital card and the old ID card until the new deadline date of January 31, 2024.

However, she highlighted that disparities in figures recorded at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic during lockdowns and when public transportation was reduced to 50 per cent occupancy spurred the need for a transparent system.

“We are moving into a hybrid system of public and private and where the Government wants to continue its policy to support the free passage for senior citizens, … students going to school, … disabled persons [and] free passage police.

“Then, we need to have a mechanism that will not allow people to fight over the numbers, and not allow people to doubt numbers. And part of the difficulty that the Ministry of Finance had initially and the Transport Board is that the numbers which have been submitted don’t necessarily reflect the reality of Barbados’ existence in the last few years,” Ms. Mottley said.

She pointed out that while the numbers for disabled passengers travelling on public transport during the lockdown period of the pandemic declined from 22,727 to 5,489 in 2020, and to 4,743 in 2021, the number of pensioners travelling showed significant increases.

“The ridership goes from 1,373,059 in 2019 to 1,584,883 in 2020; to 1,965,995 in 2021; and then 2,205,801 and 2022. I accept 2022. But it is difficult for the officers who advise us to accept that the numbers increased at the very time that you place restrictions on movement to the whole country….

“We were restricted and asking them [the pensioners] to stay at home…. And, then when you add to that, that the actual PSVs and the Transport Board buses could only carry 50 per cent density because of COVID, these numbers defy rational understanding,” Ms.Mottley outlined.

She said that as the Government moved towards a cashless system, it would be one that is fair to the Transport Board, the operators, and persons benefitting from the concessionary rides.

“It is a win-win for everyone. And therefore, we ask people to pin their cards,” Ms. Mottley added

julia.rawlins-bentham@barbados.gov.bb

ELECTRIC BUSES SOLID

The Transport Board is addressing some concerns raised by commuters over noises heard while aboard the buses. Speaking from the Board’s head office at Weymouth, Chief Operations Officer Lynda Holder said, “This is something that we have been monitoring now for some time and have continued to address.” She continued, “As you are aware, the buses create little to no engine sound whatsoever and as a result, it

becomes much easier to hear cabin noise. Our buses carry many internal components particularly for the air conditioning system and in many instances, the poor state of some of the roads is creating some rattling. Extensive road works are being carried out on major routes so we will be seeing a solution soon but in the interim, we are working with the service provider to do everything possible to reduce any noises.”

The Transport Board continues a strict maintenance schedule with the electric buses with many of them already reaching the 60,000km mark.

 

 

BIM By Bus

Today, we take a look at an article published in Caribbean Airlines’ Caribean Beat. Although written some five years ago, it remains quite relevant today.

Barbados continues to have a public transport system making it one of the easiest Caribbean islands to get around, for both locals and tourists alike. 

To take a read, please follow the following link: https://www.caribbean-beat.com/issue-135/bim-by-bus#axzz6gtCiZ4Nc

It should be noted, however, that since the publication of this article, that bus fare has risen to $3.50.

Free Wi-Fi On Electric Buses

The Transport Board is pleased to announce that there is now free Wi-Fi on all 33 of the new electric buses. Commuters can now enjoy

connectivity as they ride the buses keeping them in contact with friends and family or simply allowing them to browse social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram.

This is just another example of how the Transport Board continues to usher Barbadian commuters into a new modern era of public transportation.

Delays To Be Expected

Our loyal commuters are reminded that as a result of road works being carried out on Highway 1, that delays are to be expected on the affected routes. This is due to the ongoing Highway Rehabilitation Project.