- 2 days ago
Traffic gridlock, frustrated commuters and growing questions about the future of public transportation.
We examine whether Trinidad and Tobago's road network has reached a breaking point.
Can mass transit provide a solution? What role should maxi taxis play in moving thousands of commuters every day? And what changes are needed to ease the daily commute?
We're joined by transportation expert Dr. Trevor Townsend for an in-depth discussion.
We examine whether Trinidad and Tobago's road network has reached a breaking point.
Can mass transit provide a solution? What role should maxi taxis play in moving thousands of commuters every day? And what changes are needed to ease the daily commute?
We're joined by transportation expert Dr. Trevor Townsend for an in-depth discussion.
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NewsTranscript
00:15A very good evening and welcome to Beyond the Headlines.
00:18I'm Urvashi Tawari-Rupnarai.
00:20For many citizens, traffic congestion has become more than an inconvenience.
00:25It's a daily challenge that affects productivity, family life and the economy.
00:30As roads become increasingly crowded and concerns continue to grow about the reliability and sustainability of public transport,
00:40calls are once again being made for long-term solutions.
00:44And of course, over the past two days, we had the maxi-taxi strike.
00:49So tonight, we explore the feasibility of mass transit in Trinidad and Tobago,
00:55the ongoing issues facing the maxi-taxi industry and what practical measures could help reduce traffic congestion.
01:03Joining us tonight is Transport Engineer and Senior Lecturer, Dr. Trevor Townsend.
01:09Doctor, thank you so much for joining us tonight.
01:13Thank you very much for inviting me.
01:15Just a correction, retired Senior Lecturer.
01:18Sorry?
01:20Retired Senior Lecturer.
01:20Retired Senior Lecturer.
01:21Retired Senior Lecturer.
01:21Okay, so you're enjoying your retirement.
01:25Well, not quite.
01:26I'm currently the advisor on transportation engineering projects at the Engineering Institute.
01:31So I'm still heavily involved.
01:33Still very involved.
01:34Well, then you're the perfect person for us to chat with tonight.
01:37Maybe we could start with the maxi-taxi strike.
01:40Now, this strike has highlighted just how dependent Trinidad, more than Tobago, is on public transport.
01:48What is the situation, revealed Dr. Townsend, about the state of our transportation system?
01:55Well, the thing about our transportation system is that depending on – it has different characteristics depending on what region
02:04you're talking about.
02:05But overall, there are public transport modes, and we consider the maxi-taxi as a key mode.
02:13There's also the what you call the H-taxi.
02:14And those are all legal public transport modes that are privately owned.
02:20There's the PTSD, which is the operator of the – the state-owned operator of the buses, large buses mainly.
02:27And then there is the illegal – what you call the illegal informal, quote-unquote, PH operators, and those are
02:37the public transport modes we have.
02:41I mean, to some extent, we also have rideshare, which is actually just a PH on a computerized platform.
02:49And then we have the private car, which is users and drivers and stuff, so that all those elements make
02:54a part of our transportation network or milieu.
02:59So, generally, we know the problems that we have in the transportation system.
03:04It's in crisis.
03:05We have urban arterials and highways congested during peak periods.
03:10Our car ownership levels are very high.
03:14Our occupancy levels are low.
03:16And as you said, public transportation systems are under-managed, relatively disorganized, and not really user-friendly.
03:26We have problems in terms of not adequate parking in urban areas or too much parking on the street, which,
03:33again, is a problem.
03:34We have uncontrolled parking.
03:37We have problems that pedestrians face when they are trying to navigate city streets.
03:43Persons with disabilities frequently left to fend for themselves, you know.
03:46So, we have a whole number of problems within the transportation system.
03:50The maxi-taxis are a key element in the public transport system.
03:57And therefore, people who are what you call public transport captive, those people who do not own a car,
04:02would be dependent upon vehicles like maxi-taxis to commute, to get their children to school, to get to work,
04:10and to run their lives.
04:12Because transport is a key element in running your life.
04:16But, I guess I should ask more pointedly, does the strike show how too reliant we are on maxi-taxis?
04:25No, the strike shows how too reliant we are on private cars.
04:31Explain, because I saw thousands of commuters stranded yesterday when maxi-taxis just decided they're not going to work for
04:38two days.
04:39Yes.
04:40So, we have thousands of commuters who need and will continue to need public transportation.
04:47Regardless of what is your mode of public transportation, if that mode is affected, then thousands of commuters will be
04:59affected.
05:00If, for instance, all the public transportation was done through PTSD, let's say as an example, and the workers on
05:07PTSD decide to strike, what would happen to the commuters?
05:11Same.
05:11So, that's…
05:12So, that…
05:13in a way, we actually have the elements of a pretty robot system.
05:20We have the elements in there.
05:22In that you have a state owned operator, you have private operators, or different sized vehicles, and stuff like that.
05:31So that, we have… we have the elements.
05:33I wouldn't say we're too dependent upon the Marxist taxing at all.
05:38I would just say that the elements are there, but they're not properly organized.
05:44They're not planned for them, certainly not properly managed.
05:47Well, I was about to ask if you see the disruption as a temporary inconvenience,
05:53or is it evidence of a deeper structural problem in how people move around the country?
05:59Well, yes.
06:00And that's why I say we're too dependent on private accounts.
06:02Because there are deeper structural problems about how we move around the country.
06:07The disruption in the case of the Marxist taxis removed an element of supply that could not readily be fixed,
06:20could not readily be changed, could not readily be alleviated.
06:25I mean, we saw some token efforts in terms of buses from the protective services.
06:31I mean, really and truly.
06:33If you remove 5,000 9 to 25-seater vehicles from that system, right now, for instance, on the ETS
06:41corridor,
06:42we had done a survey that showed that the Marxist taxis carry about 13% of the total traveling public,
06:54which is significant, and of course, you consider public transport users significantly higher.
07:01Overall, it's as much as 70% of the 80%.
07:04So, Marxist taxis carry 13% of the traveling public?
07:09On the East-West corridor.
07:10East-West corridor.
07:11Yeah, that's where we did our surveys in 2019 to determine that.
07:16Overall, Marxist taxis carry, I think, between 70% and 80% of the total public transport users.
07:24Ah, public transport users.
07:25Yeah.
07:26Do we have numbers for that 13%?
07:28What does that equate to?
07:32We have it only on the corridor, I think, because really, not enough work has been done to quantify that
07:38in terms of the numbers.
07:41So, we do have it on the East-West corridor.
07:44We're talking about well over, I would say, 40,000 to 50,000 passengers per day.
07:51Oh, and that would be either way.
07:54That would be short drops, Arima to Port of Spain.
07:57It'll be all the traveling public, 40,000 to 50,000.
08:00That's quite a lot.
08:02Yeah, that is probably, I'm underestimating it.
08:05I think on the East-West corridor, yeah, there will be 60,000 to 65,000 East-West corridor.
08:10Yeah.
08:11Passengers, both directions.
08:13Now, the Prime Minister would have acknowledged some concerns raised by Marxist operators,
08:18and she said that they may be legitimate.
08:21In your opinion, what would be some of those concerns that are legitimate,
08:26and what are some of the longstanding issues affecting this sector?
08:30Well, what concerns of operators are legitimate?
08:34The question of whether or not they can be accommodated is another matter.
08:38If you consider that they're in a business,
08:41the taxi industry is a billion dollar in business.
08:45I call it a billion dollar business because the capital investment that
08:50MaxiTaxi owners would have put into MaxiTaxis,
08:53if you consider them as a group, is well over $2 to $3 billion.
08:59Think about a business that you have people who have invested in.
09:03These are all small entrepreneurs, more or less, who have invested.
09:07They would want to ensure that their business is viable,
09:11that they can do their business in the best way possible,
09:17and that the government understands and appreciates and works with them in that business,
09:22so that they would have concerns.
09:25Some of the concerns I know they would have had and they would have voiced
09:29is, for instance, competition from illegal operators.
09:33Yes.
09:34And that must be considered a valid concern.
09:38I have no idea why it is that we have stopped
09:42even attempting to enforce against PH drivers.
09:50Because if you think about what it takes to become an H driver,
09:55and you have to go through physical tests,
09:58you have to make sure you get a police certificate of character,
10:01you have to have your car inspected annually, as the case may be.
10:06And then you have somebody who may be of questionable character,
10:10who just is driving a car and picking up passengers,
10:14and nobody is doing anything about it, in my opinion.
10:19You have regulations, for instance, in Port of Spain,
10:22that say no imputed taxis and maxi taxis beyond, let's say,
10:26the corner of Hatch Street and Frederick Street,
10:30yet you have PH drivers coming all the way down to San Porto
10:33and picking up passengers and going on their way.
10:36So that must be a legitimate concern for somebody
10:39who is operating legally and seeing that happen.
10:43Some of the other concerns are that the facilities
10:47for passengers of the maxi taxis
10:50and operators of the maxi taxis
10:52are not adequate, generally speaking.
10:56Probably CityGate is the best one,
10:58and CityGate has a lot of problems.
11:00Yes.
11:00Right?
11:02They've raised issues about how easy it is
11:07for them to transfer your authorizations
11:11to operate on the priority bus route.
11:14Given that a family may have invested in a maxi taxi,
11:20but the approval to operate is in the name
11:24of the person who's the owner-operator,
11:26and if that person is ill, as the case may be,
11:29or has a, or dies,
11:31then the family, that does not pass.
11:34So they've raised that as an issue.
11:36And to me, a lot of what they have raised as issues
11:41are issues which must arise in the management
11:44of an industry.
11:46And what is missing is that there is really no agency
11:52to treat with these issues on an ongoing basis.
11:55It cannot be the responsibility
11:57of the Minister of Transport
11:59to treat with the day-to-day management
12:01of the public transport system.
12:04You understand what I'm saying?
12:05You must have an agency.
12:07And there is no agency.
12:09We have been calling since,
12:10let's say we,
12:12the Associated Professional Engineers
12:13of Toronto-Bago are a member of their,
12:16in fact, the chairman of their transport committee.
12:19And transportation engineers have been calling
12:21and have been recommending
12:23that the government set up a transit management
12:26or transit authority since before 1996.
12:30That's still how long we've been talking about it.
12:34And that sort of agency would actually be,
12:37want to be collecting the kind of information
12:38you asked me for.
12:40How many passengers need transport?
12:42Where are they and how are they located?
12:44What sort of demand we have?
12:45What are the supply characteristics like?
12:48And what are the standards for suppliers
12:50that we want to make sure we meet?
12:51Where are the best places
12:53to put considerable subsidies
12:55that the government is now putting
12:57into public transport?
13:01How do we get the most effective
13:03and efficient use of that money?
13:05That agency will be charged with responsibility
13:07of managing that.
13:09And we'll be treating with all operators,
13:11PTSD, maxi-taxis, taxis as well.
13:14And we'll be designing a transportation system
13:19that could accommodate us as best as we can.
13:23Now, Dr. Townsend, I have to interrupt you there now
13:25because we're kind of halfway down in time.
13:28But I do have to kind of play a little devil's advocate here.
13:32Now, your input is very important
13:35and it's very eye-opening.
13:37Now, I do understand the need to regularize pH drivers.
13:41But, you know, you talk to commuters
13:44and they would tell you that pH drivers operate at times
13:48and sometimes go beyond what registered taxis do.
13:55So there may be a role in that.
13:57And that is where I would accept your suggestion
14:01that we have an agency to deal with this
14:03because whereas the maxi-taxi association
14:05does have legitimate concerns,
14:08commuters as well do have concerns.
14:10As it relates to the ease of transfer of these titles,
14:14I've been hearing a lot that maxi-rights are sold as well.
14:18So it's not just that you transfer,
14:22people apparently sell rights.
14:24Is that allowed?
14:26Well, I'm not sure what the regulations say,
14:28but I'm sure the Transport Commissioner
14:29could determine whether or not that is allowed.
14:32Should it be allowed is a good question.
14:36And again, there are two sides to that question
14:40because in a way you would have paid
14:43for, you didn't pay for a van.
14:47You see what I mean?
14:48Yeah.
14:49You paid for a maxi-taxi,
14:50which is a van that has the authorization
14:52to do certain things.
14:54Right?
14:56So that the question of rights being transferred
14:59must consider the fact that the entrepreneur
15:01would have paid for a vehicle
15:04for which they can do their business.
15:07If I bought a taxi as an H-car,
15:09for instance,
15:10a five-seater or six-seater taxi,
15:14once I'm an authorized taxi driver,
15:16I can buy that taxi
15:17and use it as a taxi
15:19without any major issue.
15:22Why not a maxi-taxi the same way?
15:25What is the reason why not?
15:27And there must be a legitimate reason
15:29why not before we say no.
15:32Okay.
15:33Do you think,
15:34if we could move on a bit
15:36to traffic congestion,
15:37traffic congestion remains
15:38one of the biggest complaints
15:40from commuters.
15:41In your assessment,
15:42what would be the main causes
15:44of this worsening traffic situation?
15:47Cars, right?
15:48How many minutes have we had?
15:51Okay.
15:53Recently,
15:54the association submitted a report
15:56to the Joint Select Committee of Parliament
15:58on issues affecting
16:00efficient traffic management.
16:02And we talked about congestion at that time.
16:04I like to look at transition
16:05and basically congestion occurs
16:07when you have a demand
16:09in excess of capacity.
16:11That's a classical definition
16:13of where congestion occurs.
16:14Now,
16:15we have,
16:16I like to look at it
16:18as a sort of gradation.
16:19You have short-term congestion issues.
16:21You have medium-term
16:22and you have long-term issues.
16:25And there are different reasons
16:27why I have all the different types.
16:29Basically,
16:30short-term congestion
16:31is because of poor management
16:32of the system
16:33at some points.
16:35A good example
16:36of what created
16:37short-term congestion
16:38was recently
16:38when that hospital
16:39had its
16:41pre-clinic rise
16:43and there was
16:44tremendous congestion
16:45which was probably,
16:46which was,
16:46in my opinion,
16:47caused by poor planning
16:49of what had to be done.
16:52Proper advanced planning
16:53would have enabled
16:54those who were supposed
16:55to manage the traffic
16:56on that day
16:57to manage it properly.
16:58But it wasn't done.
16:59Not only done that day,
17:01on several days
17:02of that period.
17:06That's a short-term problem.
17:08We have a more,
17:10we have a big medium-term problem
17:12as I mentioned
17:14in terms of
17:14the low vehicle occupancy
17:17and the high car ownership.
17:19And you spoke about it.
17:21The medium,
17:21what I call
17:22the medium-term congestion
17:23is because
17:24the modes
17:26that we are using
17:27to carry people
17:28are inefficient.
17:30We need to have
17:31a proper operating master.
17:32transit system.
17:35As I said,
17:36we have some of the elements,
17:37but some key elements
17:38are missing.
17:39And if you do not have
17:40a properly operated
17:42mass transit system,
17:43and I don't mean
17:43a real system necessarily,
17:46we had done a paper to the,
17:47again,
17:47APET had done a paper
17:48to the ministry
17:49suggesting a different approach.
17:54Interestingly enough,
17:55the government,
17:56I think it's 2017,
17:58asked the IADW
17:59to look at the whole question
18:00of mass transit,
18:01and they did.
18:02and they came up
18:03with some ideas about,
18:04which we,
18:05the same ideas
18:06that we were talking
18:07about all the time
18:08about the mass transit system.
18:10We already have
18:11parts of a mass transit system,
18:13as I said,
18:14elements on the
18:14priority bus route.
18:16But it's not organized
18:18as a mass transit system.
18:19You have the route,
18:21but it's not organized
18:22as a mass transit system.
18:23So we need to do that.
18:26We need to establish
18:27high occupancy vehicle corridors
18:29as part of the mass transit system
18:31between north and south.
18:33We can do that.
18:34There's really nothing
18:36preventing us from doing that
18:37other than the will to do it
18:39and the organization
18:39to manage it.
18:40Will to do it
18:41and organization to manage it.
18:43Dr. Townsend,
18:43we have to take a short break.
18:45Still ahead on
18:46Beyond the Headlines,
18:47could a modern mass transit system
18:49actually work in TNT?
18:51We'll discuss the costs,
18:52the challenges,
18:53and whether the country
18:54has waited too long
18:55to make that investment.
18:57Stay with us.
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19:57Welcome back to Beyond the Headlines.
19:59We're talking with
20:00transport engineer
20:01Dr. Trevor Townsend.
20:03Now, Dr. Townsend,
20:03I do really want to get
20:05into the mass transit discussion,
20:07but before we go there,
20:08let's try to see
20:10how big of a scale
20:11the problem is
20:12by me asking you
20:14what impact
20:15does traffic congestion
20:16have on productivity
20:18and the wider economy?
20:21Well, there wasn't,
20:22I think there was
20:23recently an ECLAC study
20:24that talked about that.
20:27And this has some questions
20:29about how they would
20:30quantify it,
20:31but they did try to quantify it
20:33and it is in billions of dollars.
20:35Wow.
20:36In terms of the cost
20:37of lost productivity
20:39in terms of lost time
20:40due to traffic congestion.
20:42And that would be per year?
20:45Yeah.
20:46Wow.
20:47That is a lot.
20:48That is a lot.
20:49So it's costing us
20:50billions of dollars per year.
20:52So we were talking
20:52about the mass transit system
20:54before we took the break.
20:55And my mind,
20:56like many other Trinidadians,
20:59Deesha,
20:59who's anchoring tonight,
21:01she did mention
21:02the rapid rail system
21:03that was initially proposed
21:05by Mr. Patrick Manning,
21:08former prime minister.
21:09Would a system like this work?
21:13Well,
21:14we don't have to guess
21:15the answer to that
21:16because in fact,
21:17the government got the answer
21:19to that because they did
21:20in 2017 ask the IDB
21:24to look at just that.
21:26And the IDB came back
21:28and said,
21:30they compared the various reasons
21:32which you could put together
21:33a mass transit system,
21:34like rapid rail,
21:36and like the RT
21:39or bus rapid transit.
21:41And they looked at
21:42the type of corridors.
21:44They said the Bibisca
21:44there are three different corridors,
21:46main corridors.
21:47There's the east-west
21:50from Port of Spring
21:52to Bessirema.
21:53There is the western east-west,
21:55which is from Port of Spring
21:55to Digo Martin.
21:56And then they look at
21:57north-south from Port of Spring
21:59to San Fernando.
22:01And in each case,
22:04they looked at
22:05what would be the best way
22:06of resolving
22:08or creating mass transit systems
22:11on each one.
22:13And basically,
22:15they said
22:16on the main east-west corridor
22:19from Port of Spring
22:20to, let's say,
22:21Arima,
22:21in San Fernando Grande,
22:22perhaps,
22:22if you consider further east,
22:24they would talk,
22:25well, certainly Port of Spring
22:26to Arima.
22:26They said
22:27put a bus rapid transit system
22:31along the priority bus route.
22:34But in north-south,
22:35they talked about
22:36high-occupancy vehicle lanes.
22:40They have a lane
22:41of the current main highway
22:43exclusive
22:44for high-occupancy vehicles.
22:46And they said
22:47similarly create that
22:48for the western part
22:51of Bessirema's corridor.
22:54So that,
22:55to some extent,
22:56we already have
22:58some of the infrastructure.
23:00They did recommend
23:01looking at things
23:02like great separation
23:03of the intersections
23:06along the priority bus route,
23:07for instance,
23:08and that would help.
23:10So that would certainly
23:11help them
23:12to have a better thoroughfare.
23:15But the key element,
23:18though,
23:18is that it must be organized.
23:21Every operating system
23:22must be organized.
23:24And it must be organized
23:25in a way,
23:26and by the way,
23:27what it was saying
23:28is that that,
23:29that,
23:29that,
23:29that,
23:30that,
23:30quote-unquote,
23:31BRT system,
23:32and we will endorse that,
23:33could be started
23:35using maxi-taxis
23:37and buses together.
23:38So it is not to say
23:40that you have to say,
23:41and I know that PTS
23:42is planning to buy buses,
23:43and I'm sure
23:44that that is going to happen.
23:46But,
23:46but if you think about it,
23:48it doesn't,
23:49you don't have to wait
23:50until PTS
23:51has to buy buses
23:52to organize
23:53a mass transit system.
23:54So you will have to
23:55arrange for things
23:57like interoperability affairs
23:59so that,
24:00arrange that,
24:01a fair charge
24:03will be paid
24:04by the user
24:06and the operator
24:07will be able
24:07to get that money.
24:09But there are ways
24:09that we should have done.
24:10I'll give you
24:10some examples just now.
24:13So I was also
24:15about to ask you,
24:16Dr. Townsend,
24:17when we talk about
24:17that,
24:19those lanes
24:19exclusive
24:20for high occupancy vehicles,
24:22could it be
24:22private cars
24:23that are full?
24:25Or are we specifically
24:26speaking about...
24:27I would not consider
24:28a full private car
24:29a high occupancy vehicle.
24:31You know,
24:32the minimum
24:33would be a nine-seater vehicle.
24:36Minimum would be a nine-seater vehicle.
24:37In fact,
24:39depending on...
24:40And the thing about,
24:40remember,
24:41we are a relatively small island
24:43so that we don't necessarily
24:44have to use transit.
24:46We could use what is called
24:46paratransit,
24:47which is what the maxi-taxi is.
24:50So that I would...
24:51That's the kind of vehicle
24:52I would consider UCHOB.
24:53I wouldn't consider
24:53a private car
24:54as a high occupancy vehicle.
24:57And by the way,
24:58it is interesting that...
24:59But it...
25:01Certainly a private car
25:02with five people
25:04is better than a private car
25:05with one person.
25:06We had done a study
25:07on the Chochiroza Highway
25:09and we found
25:10that the average car occupants
25:11was 1.3 persons per car.
25:14So just think about that
25:15in terms of
25:17what that does see
25:19a congestion
25:20to carry 25 people
25:22you need,
25:23how many cars
25:23you need to carry 25 people
25:25that can be put
25:26into one maxi-taxi.
25:30There you go.
25:31Because we've been hearing
25:32quite a lot about
25:33rapid rail,
25:35we need mass transit,
25:36bring back the trains.
25:37But from what I get from you,
25:39we don't.
25:39We just need to organize
25:41better the systems
25:42that we have,
25:43the PTSC buses
25:44and the maxi-taxis.
25:46Well, basically,
25:48I have a number of colleagues
25:49who, like myself,
25:51did advanced studies
25:52in transportation engineering
25:54and all over the world.
25:56And when I talked to them
25:57about what we were trying
25:58to do with the rapid rail
25:59in terms of core size,
26:02they were incredulous
26:04that we should even think
26:06about it.
26:07Our densities are not there
26:09or distances are too short.
26:11When we looked at
26:12what in fact
26:12was being planned
26:13by those persons
26:14who were going to
26:15put some rapid rail,
26:18it would have been
26:20a colossal waste of money.
26:22Waste of money.
26:23I don't make any apologies
26:25about it.
26:25I can show people why
26:26in terms of what
26:28they had actually designed
26:29and it would not have
26:31solved the congestion problem.
26:32There are many places
26:33where people have put
26:34in those kind of rail systems
26:35and they run basically empty
26:38and there's still congestion
26:40on the highways
26:41and in the vehicles
26:42because they do not
26:43suit the needs
26:44of the users.
26:46Right.
26:46What are some
26:47of the biggest obstacles,
26:49financial, political,
26:50or social,
26:51in introducing
26:52this network?
26:56It's not financial.
26:58It is in fact.
27:00Here's part of the problem
27:01and a colleague of mine
27:02said it.
27:02He said,
27:03part of the problem
27:04we have in this country
27:05is that,
27:06and he asked me
27:07to ask you a question.
27:09I will just tease it out.
27:11The decision makers
27:13do not take public transport.
27:17And he asked me to ask you
27:18when last you took a massive taxi,
27:19but I wouldn't ask you
27:20that question.
27:20Oh, quite recently.
27:22I mean, I try,
27:23but I do still take Maxi's
27:25from time to time.
27:27And you would understand
27:29what I'm saying,
27:30that if,
27:33here's what we have done.
27:34And I'm being a little,
27:37I'm not being bad about it.
27:39This is something
27:40that I've advocated
27:41since I was street traffic engineer
27:42back in 1981.
27:45My position was
27:46that the priority bus food
27:47should be priority bus food.
27:50Not a priority big boy would.
27:53Yeah.
27:54And in fact,
27:56when we put private cars
27:58on the bus route
27:59because of a problem
28:00with Maxi taxis,
28:01and we congest the bus route,
28:03which means that
28:04all the bus passengers
28:07get further delay.
28:08And we are saying
28:10that the time
28:11of those who are driving
28:12those private cars
28:13is more important
28:14than the time
28:15of the public transport users.
28:17and that is part of the problem.
28:20So we have been making
28:21over a year,
28:22and this is not,
28:23I'm not bashing
28:24any particular government
28:25because this has been happening
28:26for about 30 years or more.
28:27We have been making
28:28more and more
28:29what I call
28:30auto-centric decisions
28:32in terms of our investment
28:33in transport.
28:35More and more
28:36auto-centric decisions.
28:37And that is where
28:40the perspective has been.
28:42If you consider it,
28:43we have thousands of people
28:45who use public transport.
28:47What facilities
28:48are there for those people
28:50in terms of giving
28:52some of their waiting facilities
28:53besides CityGate?
28:56And even CityGate
28:58is constrained.
28:59Dr. Townsend,
29:00I hate to interrupt you,
29:01but we have to bring
29:02a close to our discussion
29:04here tonight.
29:05I need to thank you
29:05for sharing your insights
29:07with us.
29:07The debate over traffic congestion,
29:09public transportation,
29:11and the future of mobility
29:12in T&T
29:13is one that affects
29:14virtually every citizen.
29:16While there may be
29:17differing views
29:18on the solutions,
29:18there's little disagreement
29:20that the status quo
29:21is becoming increasingly
29:23difficult to sustain.
29:25Thank you for joining us
29:26on Beyond the Headlines.
29:27Dr. Townsend,
29:28thank you for sharing
29:29your time and expertise.
29:30I'm Urvashi Tiwari-Rupnarain.
29:32I now hand you over
29:34to Disho.
29:36Now for our PeopleMeter results,
29:38tonight we asked you,
29:39do you agree with the response
29:40by the police
29:41to the attempt
29:41to have a peace march?
29:43For those of you who voted,
29:4517% said yes,
29:46while 83% said no.
29:50That brings us to the end
29:52of tonight's newscast.
29:53I am Disho Rambajan Mali.
29:55On behalf of everyone
29:56at Team 6,
29:57thank you for joining us
29:58and have a good night.
29:59and have a good night.
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