Efforts are ongoing to have another 30 electric buses from China arrive in Barbados next year.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Works Santia Bradshaw gave this update in the House of Assembly on Tuesday, noting that the additional buses would “ease the pressure” for people with disabilities and other Barbadians.
Speaking on a resolution to approve the National Policy For Improving The Lives Of Persons With Disabilities, she said that Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley “has been able to secure a donation of 30 buses from the People’s Republic of China”.
“Just as I sat here this morning, we received correspondence from the People’s Republic of China confirming that they are ready to go to production. The Foreign Affairs Ministry just has to sign off the last set of documentation.
“And therefore, we anticipate that by next year, we will be in a position to land another 30 buses here in Barbados, which will no doubt ease the pressure for the disabled community, but I do believe it will ease the pressure for all Barbadians who have been requesting of us these things.”
Wheelchair access
The minister noted that “when we introduced 59 electric buses a few years ago, we ensured that they would facilitate wheelchair access, also that the driver could lower it to the kerb in order to be able to allow a smooth transition from the sidewalks into the buses”.
Regarding the additional 30 buses, she said they “were able to indicate to the Chinese the specifications that we would want to see on the buses, and to indicate that we wanted them to be equipped not only with the additional wheelchair lifts, but that we would also like to see the additional stop signals in the bus.
“I think initially there were four, then they moved to eight in the next set of buses that we brought, and we are advocating now for at least 12 stop signals to be placed within the bus,” Bradshaw said.
This was in addition to having improved audible and visual messaging to make it easier for the visual and hearing impaired to know when the bus was approaching the next stop.
(SC)
