Traffic policy in reverse

For some people in Trinidad and Tobago, owning a vehicle seemingly illustrates wealth or success, while for others, it simply illustrates a person’s ability to senselessly enter into unnecessary debt. The only thing that this state of affairs has ‘developed’ is disdain towards users of public transportation, because apparently, taking a bus or riding the ferry to Tobago is reserved for our society’s poor.

Despite the Trinbagonian opinion on the situation, ironically, many are all too happy to chase after buses or squeeze through closing train doors when visiting foreign countries. The time has come for a change in mind-set to the way we approach policies on public transportation and alleviating traffic.

In cities like London, New York and Paris, the vast majority of residents use public transportation, and it is not because they are poor. In fact, in these three cities that have consistently ranked in the top 10 wealthiest cities for years, commuters park their Range Rovers, Jaguars and Porsches at home or at a parkand- ride and hop on a train or bus instead. Others even opt to don a helmet to accessorise their expensive suits and ride bicycles to their business empires, their fancy offices and firms, or to the financial districts of Canary Wharf, Wall Street, or La D?fense.

In contrast, poverty is glaring throughout Trinidad and Tobago, yet many people, despite working monotonous poorly paid jobs in “the city,” are forced to purchase vehicles where it now seems that cars outnumber pedestrians at peak hours.

Thankfully, I don’t have to endure the sickening commute to and from Port-of-Spain every day, unlike so many children and the core group of workers in our government ministries. I am not in possession of a bus route pass, nor do I have the option of a police convoy at my disposal like our politicians who are clearly disconnected from the commuting public; I merely have a job that offers flexibility.

However, on the very rare occasion when I have to make the morning commute into Port-of- Spain, I can never understand how every day these children and civil servants are forced to waste several unproductive hours in traffic, crawling along our overcrowded roads.

And not just that, I notice that many vehicles have only one occupant.

Politicians do not care about the extent of the traffic woes facing the general public; and that is exactly why no one shows any concern with progressing public transportation policies or on improving the infrastructure and systems in place for public travel.

Socially, family time is reduced while fatigue increases. We talk of family structures being in turmoil and blame crime on parents who are unable to “raise their offspring properly,” but that is almost impossible for a single mother working an 8-4 government job, who has to leave home at 0500 (even earlier for the folks from deep south and far east) to reach to work in Port-of-Spain on time, and then reach home at 6 pm (or later) just in time to prepare for the next day and get some rest.

A properly functioning public transportation system has great social benefits as it (1) helps foster a sense of community as people travelling together are more likely to feel a connection than those travelling in cars in isolation; (2) encourages our society to have a more active healthy lifestyle; (3) reduces car accidents; and most importantly, (4) rather than driving in traffic or wasting time looking for a parking spot in a place where the unconstitutional wrecking cartel continues to operate with impunity, public transport passengers can relax and listen to music or read a book.

An efficient public transportation system has to be a priority going forward, not just a 2020 vision or dream, and the development of rural transportation systems must be as important as it should be in urban areas.

Just like I did in England, I would love to leave my vehicle parked at home during the week and catch a bus or a train to my destination; vehicle ownership should only be necessary for commute after hours and weekends when the frequency of service is reduced.

Similar to our options for dealing with crime, making this type of progress is not because the research must now begin, it is because the people with the ideas and draft polices are being ignored. Dr Rae Furlonge and former Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) general manager, Dr Trevor Townsend, are transportation engineers and experts who have drafted policy after policy after policy and nothing is impl e - mented.

But it doesn’t b o t h e r our politicians, so why w o u l d t h e y care?