Government does not have to own buses to have a successful public transport system, says president of the Association of Public Transport Operators (APTO), Morris Lee.
He contends that Government only needs to put the appropriate systems in place to properly regulate the privately-owned public service vehicles (PSVs); to ensure the average working class Barbadians get an efficient, cost-effective service with low fares, and that the most vulnerable in the society – the elderly, children and physically challenged – are catered for.
That model and the building of two multi-purpose terminals, argued Lee, would save Government about US$20 million annually while generating millions of dollars in economic activity that would boost employment.
And he was adamant that the PSVs could not hold Government to ransom for increased fares in such a plan, as some had suggested. (SP)
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