The National Omnibus Association (NOBA) on Thursday decided not to strike on Monday — as it had planned — after the government agreed to meet its demands for better roads and an express route of Kingstown to eastern St. Vincent, NOBA president Anthony “Code Red” Bacchus says.
“All our demands are met, everything is documented on paper. We are no longer striking because all the demands are met by the government,” Bacchus told I-Witness News on Friday.
The government has agreed to allow minibuses to leave Kingstown via the Town Hill-Cane Garden route between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.
NOBA says this will reduce traffic congestion and the amount of time that commuters spend waiting for transportation.
“They are repairing Cane Garden because one of the demands [was that] the vans would be able to go over Cane Garden and get out the rush-hour traffic,” Bacchus told I-Witness News.
He further said that the government has decided to adopt NOBA’s proposal for improving the public transportation system, which is privately operated.
“The proposal is for betterment of transportation in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the travelling public. Basically, it involves all the complaints of the travelling public: loud music, drinking and driving, line-up, sit down, zoning and so forth. They are going to approve it. The only thing they cannot do is tell everybody they have to sign up with the Transport Board and the Minibus Association, they don’t have any law to enforce that,” Bacchus said.
Bacchus told I-Witness News that the government has agreed to repair the following roads immediately: Old Montrose/Largo Height, New Montrose-Upper New Montrose (“Monkey Hill”), Kingstown Park, Riley, Dalloway, Kelbourney, La Croix , Carriere-Evesham, Mesopotamia-Richland Park, Glen, Villa Flat-College Road, Walvaroo, Victoria Village, Campden Park Redemption Sharpes, Green Hill, Richmond Hill, Chapmans, Dickson, Old Road (North Central Windward), Arnos Vale (Plan), Walvarro.
Meanwhile, the Teachers’ Union and the Public Service Union have announced that they will strike on Tuesday in an effort to get the government to meet its demands for a one-month, tax-free salary payment in lieu of salary increases since 2011.
These changes will take years to come into effect if they happen at all. Any informal agreement this government signs — which is what this is — is not worth the paper it’s written on.
Gypsy vans (non-NOBA) will sabotage the administrative changes as well.
NOBA should also be very concerned about a complete government takeover of public transportation which would be a disaster.
I hope they are aware that they are dealing with liars and contract cheats. Most of what they say is agreed in particular road repairs will not be done before the elections so they can promise them anything at this time.
first off…lol….i doubt that he has any proper documentation or at alll….noone believe that he would strike…just wanted to blow off steam.
i think that there is so much wrong with the transport system in svg and the fact that the government wants nothing to do with the daily operation of it is appalling. THEY PRETEND SO THOUGH.
the roads are not suitable for most vehicles yet the vehicles we have is unacceptable…
I WISH THERE WAS SOME KIND OF LAW THAT WOULD ENSURE THAT NO MORE OF OUR YOUNG GIRLS GET CORRUPTED BY THESE VAN DRIVERS….. THOSE CONDUCTORS..DISRESPECTFUL… CHILD MOLESTERS…THINK ABOUT THAT SVG…
Town hill-Cane Garden exit is a waste of time and fuel. Are the regulations restricting buses and trucks from Town Hill changed?, when are these changes effective from?, are bus drivers being set up for a ‘ticket revolution’?. I would wish NOBA the best with this zoning and line up, now we will see the low level of discipline in our SVG. All this reminds me of is that ‘aspirational’ agreement.
Guess what? When the ULP is out of power this same NOBA will try to push these promises on the NDP. But the cupboard could be empty by then. I started to listen to Ralph 45 minutes speech about the upcoming strike, but got bored. Why should the teachers and public servants believe him, when he spent $13million to buy galvanize, board and other vote-bribing material? He is also blaming the weather and 2008 worldwide financial meltdown for the stagnant state of the economy. He cannot face the fact that he is incompetent and a failure where economics is concerned. He has killed jobs and force many businesses to reduce operations, lay off workers or declare bankruptcy. Agriculture was once the golden goose for the economy and island. He killed that too. He has the entire nation on welfare and hes enjoying it because everybody must come to Papa. Thats what he wanted the unions to do.
Arnhim has been warning Vincentians for over several years, but nobody wanted to listen. Now the chicken has come home to rouse and many are bawling. The time has come for a new leader to take control of the financial situation and develop new and creative ways to rejuvenate the economy of this blessed island.
Ralph if you love the people and the island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines then ring the bell. They have suffered enough under you leadership. You prolonged your departure by promising NOBA – on paper, all it requested. You realized that with 3 of the main engines that control all movements on the island was about to stall. This would have been the end of you and your government. The longer you try to hold on to power, the more that power is slipping away.