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Budget part 4

"Who vex lorse!"  

The words of the Minister of Finance at a recent Budget consultation with the T&T Chamber of Commerce.

I guess his job is to fill the citizens and more so the business community with the confidence required to create a healthy investment climate.

So, we continue with our discussion on the 'Budget' and a possible way forward for this country where we all can prosper.

Transport:

A couple things with the Budget presentation were directly related to the transport sector.

  • The removal of the fuel subsidy - I think a long time coming. 
  • Removing restrictions on the licensing of Maxi Taxis which will allow anyone to purchase a Maxi and according to the Minister, operate it anywhere. 
  • A tire tax of $20.00 for the proper disposal of used tires and the regularizing of import duties on used tires. Not sure how this will work because no mention was made as to the proposed collection and disposal of tires.
  • Increased motor vehicle tax on luxury vehicles.
  • Increased costs for vehicle inspections.
  • Purchase of an additional 30 new buses.


The above will not even scratch the surface when attempting to solve some of the transport woes.
With the availability of funding being the major problem with the country's economy one would have thought that some creative measures would have been put in place to deal with the conundrum the Minister has found himself in. Removing fuel subsidies and raising taxes on new vehicles just makes it very difficult for many people to move around the country without an efficient public transport system.

My recommendation would be to start the privatization of the public transport system. We can achieve this by making some key decisions that will not only encourage private investment in a sector that is practically non-existent at this time but also create hundreds of new jobs for bus drivers, technicians and management and at the same time have a public transport system that works.

The Government will have to make adjustments to the infrastructure for an efficient, on-time public transport service. The Priority Bus Route would have to be redefined as a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route for buses only. A compromise would have to be made for the continued use of Maxi Taxis on the route but all other persons currently using the bus route would have to be removed.

There will be major infrastructural works required, for instance at the intersections where an overpass would be constructed to allow for BRT Express services from say Arima to POS direct, no stopping. This will allow for a transit time of just under half an hour.

A BRT route could be created from Carson Field, Chaguanas to POS. Again this would allow a BRT Express service to transit between the termini in just over 30 mins. If one takes the current transit time between the two examples listed, this makes an awful lot of sense.

The BRT system is a bus only route moving tens of thousands of commuters per hour. It is a system widely used in many Latin countries. It replaces the extremely expensive commuter rail systems.

The various commuter routes (and there are a number of them) could actually be auctioned off with private companies bidding for the provision of the services, working with the State, utilizing State assets and infrastructure, in conjunction with the private companies providing the rolling stock, maintenance and management of the schedules.

Properly organized and operated with a system that can be relied on 24/7 will encourage commuters to leave their vehicles at home. This of course now has all kinds of knock on effects such as:

  • reduced appetite for purchasing a vehicle
  • less stress on commuters
  • reduced costs on wear and tear on vehicles
  • reduced congestion in the Capital 
  • increased productivity and quality of life as a result of far less time spent sitting in traffic
  • easier mobility for the population
  • overall increased level of efficiency

The private companies would be required to provide the buses and the operational staffing to have a fully functional transit service. The service could be subsidized in the first instance with a gradual reduction in the funding over a period of time. Levels of efficiency would be pre-determined, on time schedules, seat availability, environmental standards (i.e use of CNG), type and size of buses. All of these issues could be worked out.

Commuter routes using the BRT system could be created in many areas. For example:


  • Arima/POS
  • San Fernando/POS
  • Chaguanas/POS
  • Diego Martin/POS
  • Pt Fortin/San Fernando
  • Princess Town/San Fernando
  • Sangre Grande/Arima
  • Couva/Chaguanas


Just think of the possibilities! On time, clean, comfortable, safe bus transit. Greatly reduced commute. More time to spend with your family, better quality of life all round, less expensive, provision of opportunities for education or employment regardless of where you live.

This is not pie in the sky, this is real, this is very doable!  

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