By the Bajan Observer Editorial Team
The Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW) has rolled out an ambitious, multi-faceted plan to fix Barbados’ legendary traffic congestion. Mentioning AI-augmented lights, Park and Ride facilities, and one-way peak-time flows along crucial arteries like St. Lawrence, Waterford, and Two Mile Hill, the proposed strategy is exactly what the island needs—on paper.
However, as we have already entered November, the MTW’s announcement suffers from a fatal flaw: a complete lack of specific implementation details for the promised pilot project.
Deputy Chief Technical Officer Jason Bowen stated that the plan “commences during November with a pilot project… along certain routes.” The stated goal is to test the measures “on a small scale to identify potential problems” and gather data.
The problem is, you can’t test a traffic plan successfully if the public doesn’t know the ground rules.
- Which Roads, Specifically? The mention of St. Lawrence, Waterford, and Two Mile Hill is tentative. Will the public be notified via a public service announcement the night before the changes start, or will they be left to drive directly into a confusing, unannounced one-way system?
- What are the Hours? A ‘peak-time’ one-way flow is useless without defined, specific, and reliably enforced hours (e.g., 6:30 AM to 9:00 AM, and 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM).
- Where are the Park and Ride Sites? If these are to be operational in November at locations like the Wildey Gymnasium and Oistins, commuters need to know the start date, the designated parking zones, and the shuttle routes now to change their habits.
While the MTW is rightly consulting with the Barbados Police Service, the Transport Authority, and the Chamber of Commerce, the success of this plan hinges entirely on the cooperation and understanding of the thousands of everyday commuters and residents.
Leaving the public to guess about the specifics of an “imminent” pilot project is not good faith and invites confusion, frustration, and eventual non-compliance. A pilot project should be a controlled experiment, not a stressful surprise.
Best practice for communicating major traffic changes demands a multi-platform, multi-week communication campaign using clear maps, simple infographics, and consistent messaging across all media.
To salvage the November timeline and ensure the pilot achieves its objectives, the MTW must immediately shift its communication strategy from vague announcement to specific instruction. We call on them to:
- Publish a Visual Map: Release a clear, easily downloadable infographic and map showing every road affected by one-way flow, along with directional arrows and exact times.
- Define the Start Date: Announce a confirmed start date with at least one week’s public notice.
- Use Digital Tools: Leverage social media, email blasts, and GPS navigation apps (like Waze and Google Maps) to push real-time information and route changes directly to drivers.
If this genuinely is a phased rollout to make streets “safer, smarter, and more accessible,” the plan must begin with accessible information.