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“[…] The focus on who gets a pass is a distraction from the fact that for the past 15 years, the journey itself has become a daily punishment for law-abiding, tax-paying citizens.
“[…] On a Wednesday morning during the school term, attempt the commute to your Port of Spain ministry without any official privilege. Experience the two-hour wait in traffic before you even reach Piarco. Endure the dangerous driving and the fight for every inch of road.
“Only then will you truly comprehend the daily reality you have been tasked to govern…”
The following Letter to the Editor, which pleads for urgent, structural reform of Trinidad and Tobago’s public transportation system, was submitted to Wired868 by Joel Marvin Quamina:
Photo: Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation.
As a citizen living in Sangre Grande and working in Port of Spain, I have followed the recent discourse surrounding the revocation of Priority Bus Route (PBR) passes with a grim sense of detachment.
While the indiscriminate distribution of passes is indeed an issue of governance that requires correction, it feels like a peripheral debate when compared to the systemic collapse of public transportation that thousands of us endure daily.
The focus on who gets a pass is a distraction from the fact that for the past 15 years, the journey itself has become a daily punishment for law-abiding, tax-paying citizens.
Photo: Shutterstock.
Every morning, five and sometimes six days a week, I must mentally prepare for a commute that consumes between two and a half to three hours of my life one way.
This is not a journey; it is a daily gauntlet of stress and exhaustion. By the time I arrive at my workplace in the capital city, I am not the fresh, productive employee my company pays me to be.
I am mentally frustrated, physically tired and already depleted before my workday has even begun.
Photo: Trinidad Express.
The return journey offers no reprieve, delivering me home long after sunset, too drained to offer my family the time and attention they rightfully deserve.
This is the hidden tax on the working class—our time, our health and our family life, sacrificed at the altar of a failed transport system. It is, therefore, with considerable cynicism that I read the comments from the president of the Route Two Maxi Taxi Association.
While his association expresses concern over unauthorised vehicles, it remains wilfully blind to the chaos perpetuated by its own members.
Photo: Sean Morrison/ Wired868.
The daily commute is made infinitely more stressful by maxi taxi drivers who operate with a terrifying disregard for safety and regulation, driving, as many would say, “like a bat out of hell”.
Their reckless race against each other to collect fares creates a hostile environment for all road users and a deeply unpleasant experience for the very passengers they serve.
For the association’s president to support the PBR crackdown while ignoring the rampant indiscipline within his own ranks is the height of hypocrisy.
I note that the Honourable Minister of Transport Eli Zakour has commendably refused a PBR pass to “experience the traffic problems of regular citizens”.
While I applaud the sentiment, I must insist that experiencing traffic from west Trinidad is a world apart from the ordeal faced by those of us travelling from the far east. Therefore, I issue a formal and public challenge to Minister Zakour: Spend one night in Sangre Grande.
On a Wednesday morning during the school term, attempt the commute to your Port of Spain ministry without any official privilege.
Photo: Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation.
Experience the two-hour wait in traffic before you even reach Piarco. Endure the dangerous driving and the fight for every inch of road. Only then will you truly comprehend the daily reality you have been tasked to govern.
While the permanent fix requires long-term vision, there are immediate measures that can be taken.
As an interim solution to alleviate the daily gridlock, the government must bring back carpooling on the PBR for vehicles with three or more occupants.
This is a practical, sensible policy that would provide immediate relief, lessen the crushing burden on our already congested highways and incentivise citizens to travel more efficiently.
It is a tangible action that can be implemented now while more extensive reforms are underway.
Ultimately, however, the permanent solution lies in dismantling the monopoly that the Route 2 Maxi Taxi association holds over the travelling public. The government must immediately prioritise the revitalisation of the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC).
Photo: PTSC.
We do not need more excuses; we need a reliable, punctual and safe national bus service that provides a viable alternative for commuters.
When the PTSC becomes a dependable option, the government will no longer be held to ransom by any single association, and the travelling public will finally have the power of choice. The time for piecemeal solutions and headline-grabbing gestures is over.
We, the long-suffering commuters of this nation, demand systemic reform, not political theatre. Fix the fundamental problem and you will give us back our time, our productivity and our lives.
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Many in our country suffer the effects of short term memory loss. It maybe approx 20 years or thereabout Patrick Manning had floated the idea of a Rapid Rail system. If I am not mistaken feasability studies etc were done. This probably would have attempted addressed two looming issues then (the worsening traffic congestion on our roads and the foreign exchange crisis he foresaw). Both are now full blown problems facing our nation. Some members of our current gov’t no doubt lobbying on behalf of their constituents (the foreign used dealers) were very much opposed to this idea. So do not look to them for any longterm solutions to your problem. Forget getting a bus route pass because the uproar about the previous government’s liberal distribution of these will only result in a reallocation to the family members, friends and party members/affiliates of the ruling party. Your best bet is probably working from at home. Your PM seem to be a huge proponent of this.
This letter is a raw and honest reflection of what thousands of citizens endure every single day. It exposes not just the surface issue of Priority Bus Route (PBR) passes, but the deeper, more painful truth: Trinidad & Tobago’s transport system is broken, and with it, the productivity, well-being, and family life of our working class.
What’s urgently needed is not another piecemeal policy or political soundbite—it’s a structured, realistic 5-year national transit plan that addresses both short-term pain and long-term transformation.
Here’s what that plan could look like:
⸻
A 5-Year National Transit Recovery Plan
Year 1: Immediate Relief & Trust-Building
• Reintroduce carpooling access on the PBR with strong enforcement.
• Launch park-and-ride pilot hubs in Sangre Grande, Arima, and Chaguanas with express PTSC buses.
• Digitise the maxi taxi sector: GPS tracking, reporting systems, inspections to reduce reckless driving.
• Start a national commuter consultation to ensure citizen voices shape policy.
Year 2–3: Expansion & Investment
• Double the PTSC fleet with modern, energy-efficient buses on high-demand routes.
• Introduce dedicated bus lanes on key roadways to reduce journey times.
• Build modern transit hubs in the East and Central regions for better commuter experience.
• Launch a digital travel card/app for scheduling, payments, and tracking.
Year 4: Structural Reform
• Break the Route 2 Maxi Taxi monopoly by enabling regulated competition.
• Establish a Public Transport Authority to oversee all services, enforce standards, and drive reforms.
• Complete feasibility studies for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or light rail between Sangre Grande and Port of Spain.
Year 5: System Integration & Future-Proofing
• Launch express bus corridors with feeder services to reduce commuter times significantly.
• Promote private sector carpool and shuttle programs.
• Encourage urban decentralisation to ease pressure on Port of Spain.
• Begin implementation of mass transit solutions identified in earlier phases.
⸻
But Can the Government Afford This?
Given the country’s economic challenges, it’s fair to ask: Can this plan really be done with our current resources and capacity? The answer is yes—if we’re smart, transparent, and strategic.
• Reprioritise national spending to reflect the reality that transport is not a luxury—it’s essential infrastructure. Every hour lost in traffic is lost productivity, lost family time, and a hidden cost to the economy.
• Use Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to fund transit hubs, park-and-ride lots, and even PTSC fleet expansion. Private employers benefit when workers arrive on time—many will contribute to effective solutions.
• Leverage existing public sector personnel more efficiently by forming a Transit Reform Task Force, not creating new bureaucracies.
• Access international funding through the IDB, World Bank, or CDB. Trinidad & Tobago qualifies for climate and development grants and loans that support sustainable urban mobility. We just need the political will and clear proposals.
• Phase the plan. We don’t need billions upfront—early wins like PBR carpooling, park-and-ride services, and PTSC scheduling fixes are affordable and immediately impactful.
⸻
The Cost of Doing Nothing Is Higher
The current situation is not just inconvenient—it’s economically destructive and socially unjust. Workers from Sangre Grande, Rio Claro, and other parts of east and south Trinidad are bearing the heaviest burdens, sacrificing their health, productivity, and family lives on the altar of a failed system.
We don’t just need better transport—we need to restore dignity and efficiency to our daily lives.
Let this be the moment when government, private sector, and citizens align behind a common cause. Let this be the legacy of real change. With the right leadership, strategic use of resources, and the courage to act, we can build a transport system that works—for everyone.
The time for patchwork is over. Fix the system. Give us back our time, our productivity, and our lives.
Sad to say but we do not possess the will or management expertise to implement your commendable 5 year recovery plan.
Yuh mad or what! That is too much wuk!!!
Anbrat after years of talk and no action, it’s easy to feel like real change isn’t possible. But here’s the thing: countries with fewer resources than us have turned their public transport systems around. Cities like Bogotá, Santiago, and Dar es Salaam have made significant strides by starting small, sticking to a plan, and building momentum.
The missing piece isn’t money—it’s the will to get it done. That means demanding better, holding leaders accountable, and believing that progress is possible. This plan isn’t about dreaming big for the sake of it—it’s about doing simple, doable things year by year to build back trust and make public transport actually work for people.
So yeah, the will isn’t there yet—but that’s exactly why we need to keep pushing. If we don’t expect better, we’ll keep getting worse.