Friday, May 24, 2019
By Farrah Johnson
TRANSPORT and Local Government Minister Renward Wells said he is looking to launch the pilot programme for the unified bus transportation system by the end of the month.
Noting that the agreement for the programme is being reviewed by the government to ensure that the administration “crosses their t’s and dot their i’s,” Mr Wells said all of the challenges regarding the pilot project have now been “worked out”.
“The agreement I understand has been signed by the AG’s office now,” he told The Tribune.
“The PLP left a building where the project was suppose to be managed from, unfinished with loads of issues that we had to solve, which we have done.”
“We had to ask for an extension on the IDB grant for the project, which has been granted, and so by the end of May, the bus unification pilot project will be up and running,” Mr Wells said.
Still, the minister said that the upcoming programme should be considered more of a “study” rather than a pilot, and insisted there should be a “differentiation” between the two terms.
“A pilot project is where you introduce something new [and] we are not introducing anything new,” he stated.
“I would have like to have seen us have a card-less, cashless payment system as a part of this project, but it is not. What we will be doing is valuing what a bus franchise is worth.”
When asked to comment on the Bahamas Unified Bus Driver Union’s complaints regarding inadequate bus stops, Mr Wells admitted that there are “few” areas to place them, due to most houses in New Providence being built so closely to the roads.
“At the end of the day, if the government is going to install bus stops, that will need to be a part of the overall unified bus transportation system that will come,” he said.
He added that the government may also have to evaluate how they “acquire portions of property” in the country to create more bus stops along routes.
Mr Wells insisted there were still other options available.
“We may not because where we end up putting bus stops throughout New Providence may be in places where it's government-owned property -and we can get away with it - rather than privately owned,” he explained.
He also referenced the American public transportation system, making mention of the “little distance” most bus passengers have to walk in order to reach the bus stops there.
“Right now [in The Bahamas] we have a system where someone just steps outside their house, a bus is passing, they flag [it down] and the bus stops anywhere in the road,” Mr Wells said
“We’re trying to see how we can bring more order to that system and so a part of that will be designated bus stops.”
Comments
bogart says...
HE NEEDS TO STOP STENCHING........SHOULD BE PLENTY FILES....NO NEEDS TO TRY INVRNT DA WHEEL ALL OVER ....!!!!!!!!!
DA ROAD EFFICIEMCIES TRAFFIC GOT ROADS......BUT NO...SIDE ROAD EASEMENTS TO BUS PULL OFF ROAD.....AN NEGATE TRAFFIC FLOWS....MILLIONS HUNDRED SPENT ..wothoit emminent domain taking over enpty lots....Bus Statipns....Having regular bus ....Have like US?..Canada...Europe...proper municipal bus systems.....people will not want to waste money buying japanese cars employing dere economy.....insurances...theft...bach yard mechanis...hours plugging up roafs...all dis money can be used in Bahamas...millions ofhours of man hours road car wasted...!!!!!...Dis regressive govt supported inefficienties public bus service stagnated families...people forced to have to buy car to live......
Posted 24 May 2019, 6:19 p.m. Suggest removal
birdiestrachan says...
Well uncle Tommy is using one of FNM them songs. it is the PLP fault. Wells two years
has all ready passed.
Posted 24 May 2019, 6:38 p.m. Suggest removal
BONEFISH says...
This study should have done from the nineties.New Providence needed a unified public transportation system from the fifties.Bermuda with all of it's twenty one square miles has one.This country is so far behind in many instances.
Posted 24 May 2019, 10:21 p.m. Suggest removal
CatIslandBoy says...
At least they are doing something about the problem - instead of kicking the can down the road.
Posted 25 May 2019, 10:37 a.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
The guy who had a good plan for public transport is the sitting MP for Pinewood ...... If the Govt and bus owners had agreed with Reuben Rahming 15-20 years ago, the situation would have been fixed ........ but there's too much corruption is in the Ministry of Transport & RTD
Posted 25 May 2019, 11:25 a.m. Suggest removal
bogart says...
DA STENCHING......SEEMS INTENTIONAL.......Gubbermints....cohoots...beneficiaries....benefit from.....GOVT BENEFITTING DEPENDENT ON......car import duty....shipping earns shipping rates....gasoline taxes for cars....replacement repair parts tax...car licensing taxes.....companies benefit for road use asphalt...repairs....list goes on.......NOW...if dere are fewer vehicles ...Jitneys.....population dont have to spend.....SAVE.. thousands to buy, maintain, car alarms, insurance, pay gas , time back an forth wid car licensing, insurance, ...back yard mrchanic......Each car family has dependable municipal BUs Jitney.....SAVES ...time on da road in traffic.....PHENOMENAL hours from not congested traffic saved....money... saved for families...
Posted 25 May 2019, 12:08 p.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
Too much money is at stake for the Government and the insurance & oil cartels ........ both do not really want an efficient urban public transport system, because that will mean less Govt taxes on duty, fuel, insurance, & RTD fees (minus corruption) ............ That is what the politicians will not publicly say
Posted 25 May 2019, 12:54 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Have asks, is this same or another revised version former comrade minister "Creole Language Translator" Frankie stooding ups on floor House back in March 2018, proudly telling House Speaker, all abouts the $500,000 funding done put aside for his about launch Pilot Bus project initiative to soon begins solve vexing bus problem which has plagued Colony of Out Islands capital Out Island, since first days Pindling administration - right up to very last day PM Perry's administration..... Do I dare to asks, how busing populace been enjoying the Imperial red shirts new Bus Schedule, and how exactly was that $500,000 spent? Yes, no, why even bother make these two most irritable crown ministers up?
Posted 25 May 2019, 1:49 p.m. Suggest removal
sheeprunner12 says...
LOL, good point TAL
Posted 25 May 2019, 2:03 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Comrade Sheeprunner, a reputable source deep inside disability claim section leading local insurance company, says they have seen dramatic increase far too many out 91,409 voting 35 red shirts candidates back 2017 - filing for disability benefits - claiming be coping with symptoms of former PLP brought on "Letter of Intent Post-Traumatic Stress (LOIPDS)" - yes, true .... can't just be making such disabling seriousness to one's health, up?
Posted 25 May 2019, 2:34 p.m. Suggest removal
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