Need for integration of public transportation services

Government intervention is therefore critical, and if managed effectively, can be a political strongpoint of an administration.

According to the Public Transport Service Act, the PTSC is mandated to: Carry on a business; Operate public service vehicles; Ensure the provision of a safe, adequate, economic and efficient public transportation system, adapted to the needs of the country; Carry persons in vehicles authorised to carry six or more passengers Directly carry, store and consign goods on behalf of other persons from any place in Trinidad and Tobago to any other place therein; Provide such amenities and facilities for passengers and other persons making use of the services provided by it as appears to it requisite or expedient to provide; Construct, manufacture, purchase, maintain and repair anything required for the purpose of any of its activities; Conduct studies with respect to improving its service; Authorise any person to operate public service vehicles of any special class or description upon such terms and conditions, including payment of any such fee thereof as may be prescribed, in any area or district where the Corporation on economic or any other grounds does not consider it suitable or expedient to operate its own service.

Therefore, PTSC is simply a Government-owned bus company, and it has not been utilising all its opportunities. There is a need for PTSC to maximise its services based on its existing powers in order to enhance its business activities.

According to the Maxi Taxi Act, Chapter 48:53, a maxi taxi is a public service vehicle with seating accommodation for not less than nine nor more than 25 passengers, and the administering authority for maxi-taxis is the Licensing Authority.

The Licensing Authority is responsible “for implementing and regulating the system,” and in the exercise of its functions shall collaborate with an Advisory Committee, Police Traffic Branch, the Transport Board, the Highways Division, the PTSC, and the Ministry of Legal Affairs.

The Advisory Committee is to be appointed by the Minister and “shall consist of not more than seven persons who by their qualifications or experience, or both, are competent to assist the [Licensing] Authority in carrying out its functions.” It seems to me that the responsibility of the Licensing Authority to implement and regulate the maxi taxi transit system means that they are to manage a well-organised maxi taxi transit system that delivers high quality passenger transport services in a safe, cost-effective and environmentally sound manner. They have to provide proper schedules, location of stops, amenities at terminals, and information on routes and schedules, as part of this role.

Everyone knows that this is not done, and perhaps has never been done. What is the role of the legally-demanded collaborators in all of this? Are there technical advisors? Clearly, the administrator of maxi taxis and taxis has confined itself to vehicle and driver permits, with very little concern for users of the system as transit patrons.

This country will never be able to solve its transportation problems and traffic delays without properly addressing public transportation.

And, public transportation cannot be effectively developed and managed without a well-planned transit authority.

Perhaps the time has come for the PTSC to focus on routes and services that have (1) very high volumes of patrons and that require very high capacity, and (2) very low volumes of patrons, and thus would be unattractive to taxis and maxi taxis. And, the PTSC would then contract and manage the maxi-taxis for the other services. These issues would be part of the assessment of the staff of the Transit Authority Public transport planning and development have never been done by anybody. Isn’t it now easier to recognise why individuals and groups could suggest all sorts of things to fill the void, especially alternative modes, such as rapid rail, light rail, light transit, monorail, without any understanding of the type of transit or the context within which these forms operate and what our needs are? Does anybody recognise that illegal PH taxis is an informal desire to satisfy the demand for public transport? Is anybody concerned that the vast majority of persons who have no choice but to seek public transport are women and children, and who are the most vulnerable to those wishing to prey on them? When will public transport be arranged to treat all of society as first-class citizens? There must be integration of public transport services provided by the different transit operators.

Lack of integration among multiple public transportation operators has serious consequences. While passengers are most directly affected, the operators also incur inefficient operations and losses; ultimately, the entire urbanised regions suffer indirectly but significantly from such conditions.

There are many different obstacles to achievement of full integration of transit systems