Amid escalating traffic congestion plaguing Barbados, a stark contrast has emerged between the island’s competing political pledges and the expert-backed demand for a cohesive, data-centric national strategy. The Barbados Labour Party (BLP), Democratic Labour Party (DLP), and Friends of Democracy (FOD) have each unveiled distinct campaign proposals to alleviate gridlock, ranging from constructing flyovers and ‘sea taxis’ to carving new roadways. However, Deputy Principal of the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, Professor Winston Moore, cautions that such fragmented approaches are inadequate without a unified framework grounded in empirical evidence and integrated urban planning.
Professor Moore advocates for a paradigm shift towards a ‘smart city’ model, emphasizing the critical need for real-time traffic data collection and adaptive signal systems that dynamically respond to traffic volume fluctuations. This methodology, he explains, focuses on systematically reducing bottlenecks through coordinated junction management, thereby enhancing travel time predictability and overall network reliability. The University of the West Indies is already cultivating the necessary expertise, producing graduates in data and business analytics equipped to assist the government in this evidence-based transition.
Beyond technological integration, Professor Moore identifies deeply ingrained travel patterns as a fundamental contributor to congestion. The necessity for individuals to make multiple stops—such as dropping children at school and a spouse at work—before commencing their own commute exacerbates peak-hour pressures. He proposes a holistic planning system that includes situating schools closer to residential communities and establishing a dedicated, potentially privately-funded school bus system to minimize these multi-stop journeys.
Further recommendations include implementing staggered work schedules and expanding remote work options to distribute travel demand more evenly across the week. The development of reliable transit hubs, inspired by successful international models like those in Canada, is also highlighted as a pivotal component. These hubs, supported by adequate parking infrastructure, would encourage a shift from private vehicle use to public transport by addressing commuters’ reluctance to relinquish their personal cars.
Echoing this sentiment, Roy Raphael, Head of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT), affirmed the potential of transport hubs to significantly ease congestion. Raphael also suggested the introduction of toll systems on specific high-traffic routes, such as sections of the ABC Highway, to facilitate quicker movement into urban centers like Bridgetown, where traditional commuter volumes have notably declined.