-by Dr. Trevor Townsend
The recent death of Ashanti Riley, allegedly at the hands of a person who is reported to be a “PH” driver and the subsequent proposals for “regulation” of the service made by the Minister of Works and Transport demonstrate the need for the State to finally take on its responsibility for planning and management of public transportation in Trinidad and Tobago. The unfortunate criminal event has highlighted that there are many areas in the country without adequate access to public transport. It highlights that residential and commercial development has taken place without the requisite implementation of adequate facilities and services to transport people who are not private car users. It has been observed that even developments e.g. public sporting facilities, do not have a broad enough assessment of how people will travel to and from these facilities other than by their own private car. The public transportation or Transit sector includes buses, maxi-taxis, taxis, “PH” cars and TNCs such as UBER and TTRideshare. Over the years, the “PH” operators have been expanding their reach and on several routes, they now compete directly with legitimate taxis and maxi-taxis. A recent survey done by the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering on the East-West Corridor revealed the following:- • 9% of commuters use PH as their main mode of travel compared to14% maxi-taxi, 12% taxi and 1% bus. • Where commuters only use one mode of travel in the commute 7.9% use PH, 5.6% maxi-taxi, 9.3% use taxi, 0.1% use bus. • The gender split of PH users is 31% male and 69% female. Therefore significantly higher numbers of PH car users are female. We have long indicated that the existence and prevalence of the “PH” system is a symptom of the failure of the state to adequately plan and manage the public transportation sector. Even the current plans outlined by the Honourable Minister of Works and Transport for a regulatory system fail to address the fundamental weakness. What is required, first and foremost, is the development of a Transit Authority tasked with the responsibility of planning, administering and coordinating the public transportation sector. Passing new laws and regulations is NOT management and planning. The institutional weakness is glaring if a number of questions are asked:- (1) Which specific agency is responsible for the management, planning, design and regulation of the public transportation sector? (2) Who heads that agency? (3) What are the roles, skills and competencies of the persons who work on a day-to-day basis within the agency? (4) What national transportation policies are guiding the agency in carrying out its duties? The answers to those questions are:- (1) The Ministry. That is there is no Department, Division, Authority or otherwise under the Ministry of Works & Transport with that responsibility. (2) The Minister. That is there is no Technical, Administrative or Professional person whose responsibility is to run such an organization. (3) No such persons with the necessary skills and competencies have been employed in the Ministry since there is no organization in which they can function. (4) No such policies exist. So while there are many suggestions, ideas and opinions about how “PH” can be “regularized”, any new regulations will be made against a backdrop of no policy, no implementing and monitoring agency, no day-to-day data collection and analysis, no understanding of stakeholders’ requirements and no planning for the future. The Ministry of Works and Transport is organized and staffed to design and plan Highways, (Highways Division, and PURE), to design plans for short term traffic management (Traffic Management Branch), to license vehicles and drivers (Transport Division) and to operate buses (PTSC). None of these agencies have the institutional capability of managing and planning the public transportation system. It should be noted that the need for a Transit Authority was identified as a Strategic Initiative under Theme III in the Vision 2030 National Development Strategy 2016 – 2030. Of course the Authority will be guided by a National Transportation Plan, also identified as a strategic initiative, which should address areas such as (1) the role of private sector providers (2) the targeted use of subsidies to encourage efficient travel behaviour and (3) minimum levels of public transportation service supply to communities. We can solve the transportation crisis by developing and implementing proper policies aimed at ensuring proper service levels for both urban and rural dwellers without a debilitating drain on the state coffers. We need to support these policies by strategic institutions with clear mandates, authority and accountability. Our population is under 1.5million people - that is not high. We have the necessary resources and knowledge, what we need is the will to take decisive action to change the current course of “laissez-faire” or “uniformed” policy making and replace it by scientific data-driven approaches aimed at attaining measurable objectives. Trevor Townsend Dr. Trevor Townsend F.APETT, F.ITE, F.CIHT Senior Lecturer in Transportation Engineering, UWI Chair, APETT Transportation Sub-Committee
28 Comments
Sharon Lans
4/15/2021 11:11:45 am
Hey Dr T. I did not realise you were responsible for turning QPS one way. Two thumbs up. So how about doing the same thing with Wrightson Road between 6:00 and 8:00 am only. As in diverting eastbound traffic coming down Wrightson Road up Rosalino Street and turn former Powergen into a roundabout. Traffic coming into POS from Beetham should no longer turn at the lighthouse but can turn up Edward St? by CBTT and can turn up Colville Street unimpeded (no red traffic light necesaary since no traffic is coming down) and filter back to downtown using all those underutilised side roads.
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Trevor Townsend
4/23/2021 10:45:44 am
Hi Sharon,
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