Time to ARREST Reckless Drivers on Our Roads

Submitted by Posh

Acting Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith

Hi everyone, I’ve contributed some articles here before, and they have been met with nice civil discussion. I like to shed light on things which might be affecting people but which are not yet topical in the media. Today’s article is all about drivers, our roads, their behaviour and what are we doing about it?

I was very saddened to hear of the tragic loss of life of the drainage division worker. Who in the twilight of her life, and looking to soon reap the rewards of retirement, was cut down by reckless driving. I don’t need to go into too much detail about the constant reckless behaviour and indifference on our roads. Most of us either drive cars, drive in them or in public service vehicles and see the behaviour of some drivers on our roads.

Daily people are using the expanded ABC highway as their personal speed zone. It is funny in a not so humorous way when you see someone zip past you at 120km, nearly clip your bumper and several other cars, then only to be right behind them at the next round about. After having placed so many lives in danger.

The Taming of the Shrew

Submitted by Old Onions bag

Minibus on the go!

“Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player,

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage”

Macbeth

How often we see things that causes us to shrill with disgust and disbelief,  and review the situation for reasons to explain the unfortunate occurrence, in an effort to ascertain why. The majority of times, the verdict, is usually the same. Why would someone seek to cause such confusion knowingly (due to lack of intelligence, education or both) to the discomfort, harm and or inconsideration to the other party, and the general population at large?

We often consider the culprits character and upbringing as a forerunner to his behaviour, and a quick  diagnose too. This analysis though relative and a bit superficial, will go no further, but offer an immediate sense of calm. Beats slowly counting from 1 to 10, the other alternative to regaining one’s composure.

The minibus men and their jig sawed organization for instance,  yes, providing an essential service to the community without doubt.  They been in existence now for more than twenty five years and  still cannot get it right. Indiscipline within means chaos without, hence the resulting ensong… being unable to function as one coordinated body with rules and regulations for  all. What would propel a conductor on one of these vehicles for instance, instruct the driver to stop, and  temporarily disembark  to urinate, six feet away to the side of the bus, in full view of the passengers within? To make matters worse, wipes his hands in his already dirty shorts and resumes to take fares without even as much as a hands wash? For those who know, inadequate personal hygiene and body odour is a norm for some. Forget keeping up appearances and wearing of shoes and things of business-like. You would be bused for that. With a philosophy of “you  are in my world now,” fare paying passengers either learn to accept or  fear getting off the vehicle, with no future pickups.

Monitoring PSVs On Our Roads – How Many Are Without Insurance Coverage?

Author’s name withheld

My issue is with public service vehicles which do not have insurance. Everyday thousands of Barbadians travel on private public service vehicles and are unaware that many of them may not have insurance. On Tuesday January 4 while I was stopped at a Zebra Crossing in Paynes Bay St. James, a minibus B135 slammed into the back of my car. The owner when he arrived told Police the vehicle is insured with Trident.

Earlier today my insurance company was informed by Trident that the minibus’ coverage had lapsed because the owners did not renew their policy. Not only did the owner tell the police a blatant lie but he and the driver are endangering Barbadian lives everyday. This minibus was filled to capacity with both adults and school children.

The police will often speak about private vehicles with no insurance but what about these minibuses and their owners who refuse to pay their policies while travelling our roads daily? My insurance will repair my car and I have already hired a lawyer to seek financial compensation for my injuries but what about the average Barbadian who may be unable to do so?

The PSV Sector, The Transport Board And The Fiscal Deficit

Submitted by Inkwell

Professor Avinash D. Persaud referred to privately owned buses as 'crappy little buses' while participating on a Talk Show on the Weekend

Professor Avinash Persaud said on Brass Tacks Sunday, with more than a little pique in his voice that Government had to subsidize the Transport Board while privately owned “crappy little buses” were making a profit. Prof Persaud is misinformed, at least with regard to the extent of their profitability. Is the crazy way the majority of PSV operators behave on the roads of Barbados indicative of an industry that is making money? To the initiated or the discerning observer, if looks more like a struggle to survive. They:

• Overload their vehicles to maximize income
• Pick up and put down passengers any and everywhere.
• Break the speed limit
• Run red lights
• Go off route to avoid traffic buildups
• Play loud music to attract customers
• Do not complete their route if it is not to their financial advantage
• Disregard common driver courtesy on the road
• Drive in a way sometimes dangerous to other road users.
• They are not psychopaths, they are fighting for survival.

In the last three years to 2009, Government subsidized the Transport Board some $240million, or $80million per year. And that was before the introduction of free travel for school children. No figures have been released, but this accommodation would most surely have increased that subsidy substantially. An additional amount of $5m to $10m annually would be reasonable to assume.

How Many Sons Has Father Crab?

Submitted by Mario Herbert – GoWEB Caribbean

The minibus situation in Barbados has grown unbearable for some of us. Recorded music is not supposed to be played in these PSV’s (Public Service Vehicles), only the live radio stations. However, there are several Dance-hall CD’s in circulation featuring Father Crab, who shouts profanity and vulgarly throughout the entire CD. Passengers are subjected to hearing Father Crab “large off” all of the men who carry their own gun, and cannot be told what to do, while playing songs like “Press Trigger”. This not only promotes violence, but rebellion against authority too.

On one occasion, while Father Crab was encouraging this type of rebellious behaviour, a male passenger on the bus threatened to assault a female passenger, and when the conductor and driver forced him to disembark, he tried to break the window next to the aforementioned female passenger. When the conductor expressed concern about the window, he proceeded to brandish a knife, telling the conductor that he was prepared to kill him. I found all of this ironic, because the male passenger was simply acting out the music which was being blasted in the bus throughout this incident.

The Other Side Of The Coin

Submitted by GoWeb Blog

Image - GoWebnow.net

I recently had a very interesting experience on a minibus bound for Speightstown, and even though I was greatly disadvantaged by what transpired, it left me with a sense of understanding for what PSV operators go through. Although I’m not sure I would classify myself as sympathetic, I would still like to show the other side of the coin, and give readers an insight into the life of a minibus operator.

Last Wednesday I caught a minibus bound for Speightstown in the Cheapside terminal. After lingering a while the minibus was forced to leave the terminal with a very small number of passengers. It was evident from then that things were somewhat slow that day. The driver started on the usual journey, heading up Fontabelle, but then diverted and cut out onto Baxter’s Road. For those of you that don’t know, Baxter’s Road was the previous outbound route for minibuses but is now reserved only for outbound Transport Board (state-owned) buses. Unfortunately, we ran into a police officer on Baxter’s Road, who was poised to report the driver for this infraction. I listened with interest as the driver explained to the police officer that he doesn’t commit such infractions but that things were very slow and Baxter’s Road always had a good supply of commuters, who were now exclusively the property of the Transport Board. He pleaded with the officer, pointing out that he had been driving up and down the coast of the island, burning diesel and making very little money. The officer agreed that he had never seen that particular driver on Baxter’s Road before, and then he inspected the number of passengers in the bus, seemingly satisfied by his inspection that the not much money was being earned. He decided not to report the driver, but did make him turn around and go back up the Princess Alice Highway.

I was obviously inconvenienced by this delay, as we had to go back where we had just come from, and then go the correct route (which is usually devoid of commuters), but I could understand why the driver would have did what he did under the circumstances.

CONTINUE READING