Transport: Gordon-Pamplin Responds To Roban

December 11, 2012

[Updated] If the public were ever asked to vote on the worst-run ministries of the government, Transport would be right up near the top, Shadow Transport Minister Pat Gordon-Pamplin said.

Ms Gordon-Pamplin was responding to comments made by Transport Minister Walter Roban at a press conference yesterday, where said the PLP has made “sure and steady progress” on transport, and has a number of planned initiatives including attracting cruise ships, expanding airlift and redeveloping the airport.

Ms Gordon-Pamplin said: “Transport Minister Roban announced his plan in terms that made you think he was cleaning up a mess created by someone else.

“But as we all know, the mess is of the Government’s own making, and it is difficult to see why the people who allowed the system to fall into such disrepair should be trusted to put it back together.

“Perhaps there is no need at this point to recite a list of all the public transport disasters that a long-suffering public have been made to endure, especially over the last year or 18 months. They are still fresh in people’s memories.

“Suffice it to say that if the public were ever asked to vote on the worst-run ministries of the government, I have no doubt that Transport would be right up near the top.

“In the One Bermuda Alliance, we consider that our mission is making the system work for the people again, and by people, I mean both residents and visitors.

“It seems to us that one of our first orders of business is simple – to ensure that there are adequate staffing levels and proper inventories of spare parts maintained so that buses can be kept on the roads and ferries on the water.

“We want to work together with the BIU to agree a new bus schedule that is in the best interests of both the customers and the bus operators, ” said Ms Gordon-Pamplin.

“We would like particularly to come up with a bus service schedule that properly meets the needs of residents in St. David’s and St. George’s. And we would like to re-establish a minibus service that is part of an effectively integrated transport system.

“We think our roads have been allowed to fall into disrepair in many areas. We’d like to start an island-wide road improvement programme to start getting this part of our infrastructure back into good condition, creating jobs and supporting small business in the process.

“We think trying to force taxi owners to put GPS in their taxis was a mistake. Our plan is to make it optional for taxi owners. If drivers feel it is useful to them, they should use it. And we believe that in the longer term, most of them will find it useful.

“We have laid much groundwork in examining the feasibility of attracting smaller cruise ships that would be able to commit to coming alongside in Hamilton and St. George’s. We will pursue contracting with the companies that operate them to ensure that these ships are made a reality.

“We have initiated preliminary contact with air carriers with a view to expanding air lift from the Caribbean and Latin America.

“We acknowledge the work that is required at the airport. However, it must be noted that the mammoth $1.5 billion debt Mr. Roban and his colleagues have run up will require some pretty creative financing to get it all done.

“Finally, I would like to say that I resent Mr. Roban’s smart-alec remarks about the OBA’s ‘Cuts and Pain Commission.’

“It is a childish way of trying to take people’s attention away from the flimsiness of the “sure and steady progress” theme he was trying to sell to a public, which by now knows well that the Government hasn’t made much progress of any kind in the last half-decade or so.

“The coming election is Bermuda’s opportunity to vote for change instead of more of the same that Mr. Roban represents. It’s a simple choice, but the future depends on it,” concluded Ms Gordon-Pamplin.

Updated 3.57pm: A PLP spokesman said, “The OBA is once again making fairy tale promises about major new government spending projects.

“If the OBA plans to dramatically increase spending on roads, along with their other proposed new spending of $500 million, then they are going to have to make deep and radical cuts elsewhere if they plan to also keep their promise to reduce the debt.

“The OBA have not given the people of Bermuda the courtesy of explaining what cuts they have planned, which programmes they will interfere with and what Bermudian jobs may be on the line.”

“We challenge the OBA to come clean with Bermudians and explain what will be affected by their unelected Cuts & Pain Commission? Public education? Benefits? Jobs? FutureCare? DayCare? The OBA can’t have it both ways.

“They can’t say that they are going to slash the debt while dramatically increasing spending. They are going to have to make deep and radical cuts somewhere and it’s time that they be honest with Bermudians about what their Cuts & Pain Commission is really all about.”

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Comments (21)

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  1. Justin says:

    An opposition with teeth. This is something the PLP hasn’t experienced before! The choice is clear – OBA!

  2. Taxi Owner says says:

    I am sure the majority of taxi owners/drivers would have it as the #1 worst ministry. Will the OBA be any better? Scratching my head.

  3. Zombie Apocalypse says:

    She’s right. The bus service is terrible. The buses are horrible, dirty, badly maintained, and they don’t run according to any schedule at all. They’ve given up trying. The bus terminal is chaos every night. It’s obvious no PLP Minister commutes by bus. They have their nice new a/c limos, paid for by us.

  4. RFK JFK MLK says:

    I wonder what most people would vote as the “worst run” ministry as Gordon-Pamplin put it.

  5. Triangle Drifter says:

    “Redevelopment of the airport”. What a sorry tired place that terminal is! A whole new terminal needs to be built but where is the money? Oh wait, that’s right. It has been redistributed to entertainers, hotels, party catering firms, airlines, car dealers, yacht builders, law offices & real estate agents around the world.

    • Sandgrownan says:

      Redeveloped with what exactly? Bermuda is broke.

      • Soooo says:

        Come on, you know we can borrow a few more million.. the people will pay it back!!!

  6. me says:

    OBA HAS MY VOTE! I look forward to seeing a change!

  7. Islander says:

    St. David’s would like to have their roads cleaned on a monthly basis and the over grown trees cut back regularly. One area, bus passengers can’t stand to a bus stop because somebody’s oleander hedge is over the wooden railing into the road and it is very dangerous as no street light or it is burnt out causing the area to be dark and the 5:25 bus does not go out on Southside causing concerning for those getting off the bus to cross the street in the dark with children. There was a lady with her weed trimmer one weekend cleaning up the road side in her area along. People have called Ag and Fish concerning the vegetation over growth and they promise to come down still waiting and to those guys who are keeping our road sides clean on Lighthouse Road and Texas Roads, Great Bay Road – great job!! We ain’t nevah been on no plantation so we think they want to take us back to the Reservation.

  8. jt says:

    This election is about the economy and the management of our finances. Everything else is well down the list, but dependenant on their improvement.

  9. navin johnson says:

    Let’s see the worst run Ministry….so many to choose from…theres Finance we know that is dreadful…..transport? that’s up there too…Planning? what planning Bean just approves what he wants to ….Telecommunications? again they cannot pass legislation they have been working on since 2005….hhhmmm…..Health? future care? think it can survive? Tourism and Business Developement? laughable…Works and Engineering? man this is hard to find the worst run Ministry….is there anyone that is run right? It is probably easier to pass a camel through the eye of a needle than to find a well run ministry…..

  10. GOD 1st says:

    Who is resposible for counting the votes?

  11. GOD 1st says:

    responsible

  12. Argosy says:

    My vote for the worst Ministry of the PLP Government goes to the BIU and its Minister, Chris Furbert & Permanent Secretary, Laverne Furbert!

  13. Well I Never says:

    I don’t know why Ms. Pamplin is wasting her time responding to this idiots gibberish. But I guess she has to.

  14. Like It Is says:

    All the above, totally disturbed comments by the same people who comment on everything and do so negatively.

    LAUGHIN AT YOU ALL!

    lol lol lol lol lol lol hahahaha ahahaa ahahan HA HA

    hey what are your real names,

    heres a challenge, lets give our real names one by one, starting from the top to me, ready……..

    GO