BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – AS a result of extensive damage to the Old Road Bay carriageway during the passage of Hurricane Maria, commuters travelling in passenger buses to and from Old Road and a number of other communities west of Basseterre, are now required to pay higher fares until the situation is rectified.
A statement issued by the West Line Bus Association read: “All buses will travel to Old Road via Cayon and all the respective areas after Old Road. In light of this fact, bus fares for the following destinations will change with immediate effect.
“Travel from Old Road and other villages to Basseterre via Cayon completes approximately 20 miles, thus making our fuel consumption in some instances about three times more.”
It further stated that the fare to Basseterre via Cayon from Old Road, Verchild’s, Middle Island, Lamberts and Conyers would now be $6. And from Half Way Tree, Sandy Point and Newton Ground, commuters would have to pay $5, while those from all other villages beginning at St. Paul’s onward would continue to pay the same fare until conditions change.
“However, passengers not willing to comply with the fare from these aforementioned villages, will have an option to disembark in Dieppe Bay and pay another bus the fare, whether heading to Basseterre or from Basseterre,” the statement also read.
Additionally, the Association noted its regrets and any inconvenience the situation would cause, but reminded commuters that “at the end of the day our fuel cost will greatly increase due to this additional travel”.
The contents of the statement were confirmed by the Association’s President, Bernard Boland Jr., and Vice President Howard Warner.
“You would realize that you have to travel twice the distance to get into Basseterre. That is from Old Road going all the way around back to Basseterre. That would increase the expenditure and wear and tear on the buses,” Warner told SKNVibes in an exclusive interview last evening (Sept. 20).
According to Howard, a message from the Minister of Transport purported that work to rectify the situation by the Public Works Department is expected to take only one day.
But the VP is not buying that estimation, saying: “That is left to be seen because I have not personally seen the extent of the damage, but from pictures I don’t think that is possible for one day.”
He pointed out that even if that is the case, the fare would be in place for at least one day due to over expenditure on vehicles.
Additionally, Warner told SKNVibes that they were expected to engage the Minister yesterday, but that did not come to fruition.
However, when contacted for a comment at press time, the Minister of Public Infrastructure, Hon. Ian Liburd, indicated that he was entering a meeting with the affected bus drivers and that he would return a call following its completion.
Warner stressed that his increase is only for persons travelling beyond Saddlers and it should not be used as a leveraging tool for buses routes.
“From Saddlers back to Basseterre doesn’t have a problem. Only we are affected by the Old Road disaster at the moment, so those travelling from Saddlers are not affected…It is just the West Line end where we have to take passengers from Old Road through the Cayon area to town.”
