The 2025 Financial Statement and Budgetary Proposals were given a failing grade by the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) yesterday, with director of communications and public affairs Mark A. Haynes asking Government why it was side lining a sector which was doing so much for the country.
“I think the same manner in which the Private Sector Association and other people would have called out for relief here and there, equally, the PSV (public service vehicle) sector is no less significant – as far as we are concerned – than any other body in Barbados. Not one. I’m not saying every single thing we asked for that we should get right away but you should at least look at the concerns of the sector,” he said.
Haynes said AOPT was disappointed none of their concerns were addressed by Minister in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs Ryan Straughn.
“We have written Government asking for a reduction of the $1 000 transfer fees, which was raised from $1. That is unreasonable. Even if it had to raise, it should never have been by that much. Then Government has reneged on the $3 million deal to set up our fleet with EV (electric vehicles). Yes, that would be a drop in the bucket but it would at least be a start. And what about duty free vehicles and VAT-free parts? It seems we have been left out and it is unfair,” he said.
Haynes said the association was looking forward to a meeting halfway, as they had hoped Government would have been amenable to at least some of their proposals.
“We have an ageing fleet, so how feasible is meeting the 2030 deadline (to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy and carbonneutral status) without engaging us? When we haven’t even started? What is the position – Budget or no Budget?
“We are committed but we need help. We are out to sea. We must be treated like any other sector – without us, what would happen to Barbados’ transportation system? This is not good enough,” he said.
Haynes said he recognised issues with ill discipline on the road continued
to plague the sector but added this was something AOPT constantly fought against. He said society on the whole was “behaving badly” and the sector should not have a “gun put to its head”.
Chairman Roy Raphael also expressed disappointment. He said the sector was looking forward to any word about their concerns and it was unfortunate this did not happen. However, he said they still had a plan when it came to EVs.
“What we propose to do though is that we will start to talk to some financial institutions and to see if they’d be willing to assist our transition [to EV]. Government needs to do more action and less talk, and to understand that they’re already bragging and boasting about their electric vehicles, and we want to transition too,” he said.
Raphael said the sector was struggling with high fuel costs, high maintenance costs, high insurance costs, high costs for parts and for new vehicles, yet passenger count was not increasing. “We were very much looking forward, after we had written to Government, to see some kind of response but to see that Government did not even mention the transportation sector, not even the area of renewable energy, not even the area of dutyfree, not even the area of concessions, is truly disappointing, especially seeing how heavily we contribute to the economy.
“I suspect that we may have to approach Government again sometime during the course of the year to see how best they can work with us in terms of concessions and to reduce the cost and maintenance of our vehicles. Although it was not addressed in the Budget, the time is still there for us to sit down collectively as an association and discuss public transport going forward,” he said.
(CA)
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