By DANA SMITH
dsmith@tribunemedia.net
THE government is "quite a long way along the road" to taming the country's chaotic jitney service with the creation of a unified public transportation system, according to State Minister for Transport and Aviation Hope Strachan.
Speaking yesterday at a press conference on road safety, the Sea Breeze MP said the unified system involves creating an "umbrella company" where shares are offered to present stakeholders as well as to the general public.
She also noted the plan was considered by the former FNM administration.
"The government has planned for the public transportation system, what we call the unification of the public transport system," Ms Strachan said. "This has been a matter which has been sort of on the table for quite some time with successive governments. We want to actually bring a focus to it and we want to actually implement it. We are quite a long way along the road with having it done - we are at a stage where we believe that we are seeing the feasibility of it in the short term."
However, there is still a lot of "consultation" that needs to be done in order to reach an agreement with current stakeholders, she added.
Explaining the current situation, Ms Strachan said: "As you may or may not know, we have over 500 franchise holders or owners of licenses within the public transport system.
"So you're talking about on a day-to-day basis, a large portion or percentage of those owners and operators actually being on the streets and each one of them is competing in order for them to be able to earn as much as they can.
"The bottom line for them is what they earn from the franchise and so this is why we see. . . I think most of us really would regard it as a sort of chaotic system."
She continued: "It grew up without being properly regulated and unfortunately this is the results of it.
"I believe that this is the time in our dispensation that we as a nation determine that this is no longer acceptable because not only has it resulted in deaths over the course of many years - many tragic deaths - but it also is a cause for congestion during high traffic hours."
She said there are "a myriad of complaints about the system" including loud music, poorly dressed drivers, terms of fare collection, and locations drivers stop to let passengers on and off.
"So we believe the unification of the bus system is in fact the correct way to go at this particular point in time, in our history and most of the persons who are stakeholders have actually bought into the fact that we need to have a unified system," Ms Strachan said.
"There are one or two quirks in moving forward with that which really need to be resolved to the satisfaction of most of the owners of the buses. So we are very, very confident and hopeful that we will be able to actually see that system implemented in the not too distant future."
Comments
JohnBrown 11 years, 10 months ago
Why has good sense not prevailed upon you decision making jokers sufficiently so that you simply install a tram (also known. as a tramcar, streetcar, trolley car) service - like in New Orleans - here in Nassau and retire the Jitneys? Because you feel that your Bahamian people are not worth it! Right? Yes. Taxies should remain in service for high value tourist only, but not in a way that jeopardizes the flow of traffic or impedes the progress of the native people’s reliable trams that would run every six minutes. You politicians are playing God when in fact you are a national disgrace...explanations are found unacceptable.
Concerned 11 years, 10 months ago
Cancel all franchise license. If a driver wants to drive they will get a full time job with the national transport authority - no jockeying for fares, no speeding, no shortcuts, no loud music and no cash to get robbed. If you block the streets in protest, you get arrested. STOP JOKING AND FIX THE COUNTRY. Franchise owners can get double stock value whenever the authority offer shares.
BahamasPride 11 years, 10 months ago
What else do you expect from a politician that is just there to make a salary. During the campaign the PLP said we are going to give all persons renting/ leasing plates...that they will be issued their own...I might add that the FNM made the same promise to the electorate but the point of the matter I expected better from Hope that was suppose to be one of the new generation of leaders so she shows up to work reads a file and says yes we need to do this to pander to a vexing issue that either party does NOT have the fortitude to address...this is the same PLP that had bus drivers picking up and driving its supportes around during the campaign on motorcades and to the rallies...and other supporters expecting to get a plate base on the promise now you want to come out and say we need to do something about this issue. Idiots they take us for...but we give them credibility to that belief and support such nonsense. Tribune next time cut hope Strachan and ask what about the PLP promise during the Campaign I would have love to see how that question would have been answered...!
notsogullible 11 years, 10 months ago
"umbrella company" - we know who this is gonna be run by right? PROMINENT PLP FAMILIES AND STRONG PLP GENERALS "stakeholders" - we know who these will be right? PROMINENT PLP FAMILIES AND STRONG PLP GENERALS
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