The Grenada Transport Commission is preparing to launch a new bus initiative aimed at alleviating crowding and reducing long wait times for the traveling public, particularly at the St. George’s Bus Terminal.
Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, David Bartholomew stated that the body is working closely with bus operators to ensure the initiative is rolled out in the coming weeks.
“Anytime there is a build-up on a particular route, we will have a bus on standby to clear that backlog of passengers, reducing the amount of waiting time,” Bartholomew said.
He also provided an update on the much-anticipated Grenada School Bus Initiative, which was initially scheduled to launch with the start of the new school year at the beginning of September.
According to Bartholomew, the pilot project, set to be rolled out in the parishes of St. David and St. George, has faced delays due to data collection taking longer than expected.
“In collecting the data, we realised we couldn’t open at the beginning of the school year,” he said, but gave assurances “that before the school term closes in December, we will be running the pilot project.”
Bartholomew said the Commission is currently working with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to map out school locations and routes, as well as determine the number of vehicles necessary to execute the project efficiently.
“They (the CDB) are geo-mapping all the schools (to communicate information about space and location in a very efficient way), and they would look at the different routes and they will also look at the quantum of vehicles that is necessary to do it,” he remarked.
Bartholomew emphasised the importance of collaborating with bus operators, noting that discussions with the National Bus Association have already begun to chart the way forward.
Meanwhile, some bus operators were spotted displaying red ribbons on their vehicles on Tuesday, ahead of another meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
Efforts to get a response from the National Bus Association regarding these matters have so far been unsuccessful.