BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC—The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) says increasing administrative capacity, implementing cashless payment systems and user information portals, and enhancing accessibility for vulnerable populations form part of a comprehensive framework aimed at sustainably improving public road transportation in the region.
It said that a virtual development of sustainable public transport systems workshop held earlier this week underscored that public transportation in many regional countries currently faces challenges such as inadequate service, unreliability, poor organization, and limited accessibility for vulnerable populations.
Other transport services, such as route taxis, contribute to traffic congestion, pollution, and sometimes violence among and against operators. Additionally, transport infrastructure, such as bus stops, terminals, and maintenance facilities, is highly susceptible to climate change impacts, the CDB said.
It also noted that urban growth, rising incomes, and increased automobile dependence have led to urban sprawl, underscoring the need for integrated transit and land use planning to reduce private vehicular traffic.
In 2021, CDB commissioned a study to assess and propose solutions for creating a sustainable public transport system, using Grenada and St. Lucia as case studies.
The proposals shared during the workshop were based on placing the customer at the center of the transportation system and included the following:
- Strict quality controls for bus services.
- A new contract scheme for focused service delivery.
- Redesigning bus networks to include express routes and feeder lines.
- Improved bus stops.
- Implementing comprehensive timetables.
Additional recommendations involve:
- Fleet optimization.
- Transitioning to environmentally friendly buses.
- Enhancing driver training and working conditions.
- Extending service hours.
- Optimizing network design for better coverage.
- Enforcing regulations.
- Reducing traffic congestion.
- Addressing public transport vehicle procurement and maintenance costs.
The acting division chief at the CDB’s Economic Infrastructure Division, William Ashby, noted that the current state of public transport in the borrowing member countries (BMC) does not serve the mobility and accessibility needs of the population adequately, adding that the technical assessment aimed to assist CDB in developing sustainable gender-responsive and socially inclusive measures.
“Governments in the BMCs have found it challenging to provide a sustainable public transport system that is efficient, safe, reliable, affordable, environmentally friendly, comfortable, and accessible to vulnerable persons.
“Identifying key challenges and developing strategies to address them while transitioning to a sustainable system in each country will increase the viability, efficiency, and quality of the public transport sector to meet the needs of the public,” Ashby said.
The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) regional project manager, Financial Systems, Mylene Lerigab, said, “This technical assessment will enable us to provide the expected responses in terms of resilient transport for the people of the Caribbean islands and increase the well-being of all while aiming to reduce carbon emissions and in accordance with the specific characteristics of each island.”
She said that the virtual workshop also provided an opportunity to promote the regional cooperation highlighted in this project by sharing experiences.
CDB said that studies have shown that access to high-quality public transport reduces dependency on private cars. Integrating land use and transit reduces demand for parking spaces, delivering numerous social, environmental, and economic benefits.
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