The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THREE companies have responded to a request for proposals to manage the pilot project for a unified busing system in New Providence, with this project expected to commence "shortly," Transport and Local Government Minister Frankie Campbell has said.

Mr Campbell, during his recent contribution to the budget debate, said his ministry, along with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), which is financing the project, will "soon engage" in "discussions with respect to the identification of the company selected to move the project forward."

Mr Campbell also said revisions to the country's Road Traffic Act are expected to be completed by the end of the year, and that officials in his ministry are currently examining the bill "with a view to providing additional information to complete the final draft".

The Southern Shores MP also said that the Law Reform Commission is simultaneously "reorganising" the amended bill to "ensure that it is easy to follow by all users."

Regarding the unified busing system, Mr Campbell's statements confirm that the number of respondents to the RFP has increased by one.

In February, senior officials in the Ministry of Transport told The Tribune that the ministry had sent out RFPs to five firms for the provision of "oversight" of the unified busing system, and were in the process of analysing the responses of the two firms that "indicated a desire to participate".

"The Ministry of Transport via the IDB published terms of reference for interested companies to submit expression of interest in managing the day-to-day operation of the pilot programme," Mr Campbell said on Monday.

"Three companies have responded and the ministry and the IDB are soon to engage in discussions with respect to the identification of the company selected to move the project forward."

He added: "This is a project that we would have met in place, and I'm prepared to advance with this project. I would have indicated the persons that I've spoken with thus far, is that my only apprehension is ensuring that all stakeholders, including franchise owners, bus drivers and the passengers have had an opportunity to have a say."

Turning his attention to the current Road Traffic Act, Mr Campbell said amendments to that piece of legislation are expected to be completed "by the end of" 2017.

He also said that once completed, the new Road Traffic Act will be more detailed than the former and will be accompanied by new features that will "improve road safety and the efficiency of road traffic matters".

"The new legislation seeks to address all of the mentioned issues and will provide a modern framework for ground transportation, both public and private, so as to promote order and enhance safety on the streets of New Providence and indeed The Bahamas," he added.

The proposed unification of the public bus system is part of the New Providence Road Improvement Programme (NPRIP), funded by the IDB, which also involved the upgrading of New Providence's road network.

The project, which is being financed by $500,000 from the IDB, and an additional $230,000 from the Ministry of Finance, is an attempt to encourage jitney operators and franchise holders to take the next step towards reform, and overcome what appears to be entrenched stakeholder resistance.

An IDB paper, obtained by Tribune Business in the early part of last year, revealed that little progress towards practical jitney/bus industry reform has been made despite numerous reports and studies being presented to the government, some of which date back to 1992.

According to the IDB, around 280 buses serve the Bahamian people on 23 different routes.