I TAKE NOTICE that the Barbados Disability Council delivered a number of signatures to the Prime Minister. What should follow now is a presentation to the Joint Select Committee of both Houses of Parliament.
The Barbados Consumers Research Organisation Inc. went before the Joint Select Committee, before both Houses of Parliament, on the Fair Trading Commission and Utility Regulation Bills. Also, as consumer analysts, we went before the Joint Select Committee on the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2006.
I am hearing that draft legislation on the matters the disabled community wishes to bring is at the Ministry of Transport and Works but I would suggest that any document in the Principal Crown Counsel’s office is worthless if it does not make contact with the Chief Parliamentary Counsel’s department for approval before it goes to Parliament for debate and final approval.
When I was chairman with the divisional council of CROSQ/BNSI dealing with the building code, there was a draft legislative proposal put forward by the Principal Crown Counsel’s office at MTW. I have a copy of the document and until this is put before the Chief Parliamentary Counsel, this too appears useless.
Only the other day, it was questioned if it is necessary to legislate to put markings to warn motorists about parking in areas designated for the disabled. If we do not legislate, how will we enforce the matter?
Of course, there are political considerations too. I have discovered that if one party proposes anything worthwhile, a different party, in Government – may not see the relevance of the good work.
A good example of this is to look at the US$60 million in grant aid given to Barbados by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) during the Owen Arthur administration. Because of the 2008 election defeat, another Government would have to implement this project, which was for work in Cats Castle, Greenfields and Allen View. To date, this work has never been done.
– REV. H. MALCOM GIBBS-TAITT