Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operators have welcomed the release of $3 million in government financing to help them begin transitioning to cleaner, more energy-efficient vehicles—a move they say has been years in the making.
Speaking to Barbados TODAY following the announcement, Chairman of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT), Roy Raphael, said the update signals the long-awaited start of the PSV sector’s Transport Energy Project, aimed at modernising the fleet through a two-phase pilot programme involving electric, hybrid, and compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles.
“We feel excited. After trying for the longest time to get our transport energy project on the road, hearing from the minister that the funds are now available, I believe the association feels very delighted,” Raphael said.
“We will be going forward as soon as possible to have our project in place before the end of the year.”
He said the initial phase of the project will focus on electric and hybrid buses, which are new to the PSV community, while the second phase will explore CNG options and a seaweed-to-fuel initiative being developed by the University of the West Indies.
“There will be a pilot project since electric vehicles are new to us. So, the first phase will look at electric vehicles and hybrids only. The second phase will look at compressed natural gas and the seaweed project being instituted by the university.”
Nine of the buses in the first phase will be specially equipped to serve the disabled community, and all units are expected to feature cashless payment systems, GPS tracking, and free Wi-Fi.
Raphael said a delegation from the sector is preparing to travel to China later this year to consult with manufacturers about vehicle specifications.
“We expect to send a team to China during the course of the year to look at buses and let them know what we want as part of the first set,” he added.
Raphael shared that there is no official government timeline for disbursement to operators, but the AOPT will work closely with the Ministry of Energy and FundAccess to ensure the pilot proceeds on schedule.
“The government provides the funding. We’re the ones supplying the buses from our manufacturers out of China. That’s why it’s so important that we go there to explain exactly what kind of buses we want,” he said.
The announcement came during the launch of the Barbados National Energy Company Limited (BNECL) on Tuesday, where Minister of Energy and Business Senator Lisa Cummins confirmed that the funds were made available by the finance ministry through supplementary estimates to support private vehicle electrification.
“We have commenced, having received from the Ministry of Finance… the resources to fund access to support the transitioning of private sector vehicles into electrification,” Cummins said.
Raphael told Barbados TODAY that the initiative will start with the public transport sector but is part of a broader national plan that targets thousands of other vehicles, including ZRs, ZMs, taxis, and hire cars.
“We have close to 10,000 permits that are available,” the AOPT official said.
“When you talk about transition, you’re talking about a mass of vehicles shifting between now and 2030. But we have to start somewhere—and that’s why we’re starting with public service vehicles. We move the largest number of passengers.”
The AOPT estimates that the PSV sector spends over $50 million annually on fossil fuel, a figure Raphael said could be cut in half through this transition.
He pledged the association’s full support in working with the government to meet its clean energy targets.
“This $3 million is a step in the right direction, and we pledge to work with the government to ensure Barbados reaches its energy goals by 2035.”
Noting that the pilot’s timing now depends on how quickly manufacturers can produce and deliver the first set of vehicles, Raphael said the association is hopeful that the first buses will arrive by the end of 2025.
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