One Flew Into The Cuckoo's Nest: In the Madhouse With PSVs

Here we go, the inmates are about to run the mental asylum. I read this morning that representatives of those who own public service vehicles (PSVs) are angry because the Attorney General (AG), Mr. Freundel Stuart, commented that a new move to combat the bad behaviour on PSVs and by their operators "may well involve legislation that would temporarily relieve the owners of their licences to those vehicles if they are unwilling to control [their] people" (see Nation article and Nation report)

The press reported that Vice-president of the Association of Public Transport Operators (APTO), Judy Forde, said her concern was that Mr. Stuart "is making these comments as though the owners themselves are not concerned as well." That's right. Because if there was concern why had the problems not been addressed? Why the crocodile tears?

But not to be outdone, the press reported that:

'David Bynoe, an owner since the mid-1990s, was adamant that owners could not accept responsibility for the actions of their drivers. He too pointed to the judicial system which allowed drivers with several convictions to simply pay a fine and not have their licences revoked.

"I don't understand the system, because how can we be under threat of losing our licences when there are drivers in this industry [who] have over 20 convictions but never lose their licence? They simply pay fine after fine and the problem continues," he said'

Well, the AG is doing what the courts should have done, so Mr. Bynoe should be happy.

Who is supposed to be responsible then, the public with their lives? If an owner does not know the true state of a driver's records that is irresponsible for a public service provider. To talk glibly about drivers with 20 convictions and think that people will not see that as the state of affairs that is the result of complicit owners is ridiculous. Passengers cannot be expected to accept that checks are not being done. Other road users cannot get to a stop light and pull down the window and say "Driver, show me your papers, man." Let American Airlines or LIAT start flying planes with rogue pilots and making the kind of arguments we are getting from the PSV sector. What utter madness. Let the schools start employing sex offenders and not doing background checks and sending letters to parents saying "It's not our responsibility to check that we are employing molesters and rapists to teach your children...We are concerned." Better still, let's take any jack rabbit who wants to be a policeman, stick the person in a uniform and hand out the guns.

Please! We don't even have to get emotive about the carnage that happens as a result of an attitude that is the epitome of recklessness not concern.

When such problems have occurred with PSVs around the world and over the centuries, it was only the threat and application of the removal of privileges to carry passengers that led to changes. Why will it be different in Barbados?