It was astonishing to listen to a senior resident of Shorey village, St. Andrew, recount how she had experienced prolonged waits for Transport Board buses on multiple occasions. She shared, during her presentation, that there was even an instance where she had to wait for approximately 3 hours.
In response, Lynda Holder, the CEO of the Transport Board, expressed that the senior citizen’s account didn’t align with the information on the Shorey Village departure sheet, so she was reluctant to delve into that aspect. She however acknowledged the existing challenges with the fleet and assured that going forward, they would strive for more accurate and timely responses. She committed to providing specific timing for bus availability and pledged to address situations where commuters faced lengthy waits by increasing bus frequency.
The response provided by the CEO of Transport Board falls short of being satisfactory. Why did it require commuters to voice their frustrations in a public setting before the Transport Board took measures to address the issue?
If I recall correctly, there have been numerous instances where individuals have phoned in to radio programs to express their dissatisfaction with the lack of punctual public transportation.
In Barbados, it appears that the concerns of taxpayers are frequently disregarded. It’s only when there’s a significant public outcry that promises are put forth, although these commitments often remain unfulfilled. Let’s remain optimistic that, in this particular case, Ms. Holder can uphold the pledges she made to the residents of Shorey Village.