标签： Barbados

The Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) has issued a formal complaint against the Barbados Water Authority (BWA), citing dangerous road conditions and physical injuries to passengers resulting from improperly restored infrastructure following pipe-laying operations.

AOPT Chairman Roy Raphael revealed on Wednesday that public service vehicle operators navigating routes across the island are confronting significant hazards from unrepaired excavations. The situation has become particularly severe in areas including Apes Hill, Orange Hill, Crab Hill, and Pie Corner, where ongoing water infrastructure projects have left roads dangerously uneven.

According to Raphael, the problem emerged as a primary concern during the association’s recent annual review meeting. He explained that contractors working for the water authority have failed to adequately repave roads after completing underground pipe installations, creating substantial bumps and holes across key transportation corridors.

‘The current state of these roads creates tremendous suspension problems for our vehicles,’ Raphael stated in an interview. ‘Our operators are facing exorbitant repair costs due to the continuous wear and damage caused by these road conditions.’

The transport association reports numerous instances of tire damage and mechanical failures directly attributable to the uneven road surfaces. More alarmingly, passengers have reported physical discomfort and injuries, including neck trauma, resulting from the violent jolting experienced when vehicles encounter unexpected road imperfections.

Raphael emphasized the association’s growing concern for passenger safety, noting that some operators have begun diverting from regular routes to avoid the most severely affected areas. This rerouting strategy, while reducing vehicle damage, inconveniences passengers and disrupts established transportation networks.

The AOPT chairman acknowledged that previous engagement with the water authority regarding similar issues at Shop Hill had yielded temporary improvements. However, recent rainfall has worsened conditions, with previously repaired sections deteriorating rapidly.

‘We are making a public appeal to the BWA to address these persistent problems,’ Raphael stated. ‘While they do cover the excavations, the restoration quality falls far short of providing smooth passage for public transportation.’

The Barbados Water Authority has confirmed it is investigating the concerns raised by the transport alliance, though specific remediation timelines remain unspecified. The situation highlights growing tensions between infrastructure development projects and maintaining safe public transportation networks across Barbados.

Barbados has demonstrated remarkable national commitment to environmental sustainability through recently concluded ecological initiatives, with officials highlighting the dual benefits of climate action and food security. On Friday, the National Botanical Gardens hosted an awards ceremony honoring participants of the National Tree Planting and Parish Home Garden competitions, which ran from mid-October through November 14.

Competition Coordinator Dewyn Phillips emphasized that these initiatives align with both domestic environmental priorities and Barbados’ international obligations under the Paris Agreement, which the nation signed in 2015 and ratified in 2016. This global treaty, joined by over 190 countries, aims to mitigate climate change by limiting temperature increases.

“The most inexpensive way to achieve this is through tree planting,” Phillips explained. “Trees are relatively easy to plant and maintain, yet they represent the fastest and most efficient method of sequestering carbon dioxide from our atmosphere.”

The competition results showcased impressive participation. In the Parish Home Garden Beautification category, Hazel Lindo-Carrington of Christ Church claimed the top prize of $4,000, followed by Greta Wendy Collymore of St Philip ($3,000) and Marlene Cheeseman of St Joseph ($2,000). The Tree Planting Competition saw even more remarkable achievements: Jefferson Roberts secured first place and $10,000 for planting 1,088 trees, Michelle Seale earned $8,000 for 780 trees, and Ferne Austin received $6,000 for planting 640 trees.

Beyond environmental benefits, Phillips highlighted how fruit trees specifically contribute to food security by improving access to affordable, nutritious produce rich in essential vitamins and minerals. This initiative directly addresses non-communicable diseases often linked to poor dietary habits.

The program also fostered community development, with many participants collaborating to clear vegetation and transform plots of land. Phillips noted the enhanced community spirit and social cohesion resulting from these collective efforts.

Looking forward, the socioeconomic impact of these planted trees—particularly fruit-bearing varieties like soursop and cherry, known for their antioxidant and anti-cancer properties—is expected to materialize within three to five years. Some participants already plan to utilize their produce for juice production and other value-added products, creating sustainable economic opportunities.

The Barbados Prison Service (BPS) is implementing significant changes to its healthcare delivery system for inmates following security breaches that prompted tightened protocols. This strategic shift toward expanded in-house medical services comes as a direct response to last year’s incident involving an inmate escape from Queen Elizabeth Hospital during external treatment.

Prison Superintendent DeCarlo Payne confirmed that numerous medical assessments and procedures previously conducted at external hospitals are now being performed within the prison facility. This adjustment particularly affects treatments requiring the removal of restraints, which previously created security vulnerabilities during transport and off-site medical visits.

Despite these security-driven changes, prominent human rights attorney King’s Counsel Andrew Pilgrim emphasizes the government’s non-negotiable obligation to maintain proper healthcare standards for incarcerated individuals. Pilgrim asserts that while the location of service delivery is administratively flexible, the quality of care must align with civilized societal standards.

“The Government of Barbados, through the prison service, bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring prisoner safety and adequate healthcare provision,” Pilgrim told Barbados TODAY. “Whether treatment occurs at the prison or hospital remains an operational decision—what matters is that care meets proper medical standards, even for complex procedures like open heart surgery.”

Regarding potential legal implications, Pilgrim acknowledged that the prison administration could face liability for medical complications arising within the facility, though establishing fault might present evidentiary challenges. The legal expert clarified that while the government maintains discretion in determining treatment venues, its fundamental duty to provide appropriate healthcare remains unequivocal under Barbadian law.

Barbados has initiated formal enforcement proceedings against landowners violating the amended Health Services Act, with Minister of Environment and National Beautification Adrian Forde announcing the issuance of official compliance notices. The minister revealed this enforcement action during a ceremony at the National Botanical Gardens honoring winners of national gardening competitions.

Forde drew a stark contrast between the award recipients’ environmental stewardship and what he termed the “opposite behavior” of negligent property owners. He expressed personal frustration with the widespread land neglect, describing it as “maladaptive” and contrary to Barbadian values, while invoking the principle that “cleanliness is next to godliness.”

The ministry, with legal support from the Solicitor General’s office, has begun formally notifying property owners whose lands contain excessive vegetation or exist in derelict conditions. Forde characterized these notices as both an “early warning” and a “New Year’s warning,” urging immediate remedial action to create “beautiful, clean and safe” community environments.

Beyond aesthetic concerns, the minister emphasized significant public health implications. Neglected properties with overgrown vegetation and stagnant water create breeding grounds for diseases including dengue fever and leptospirosis. The enforcement effort aims to eliminate these health hazards from Barbadian communities.

Separately, Forde addressed the ongoing challenge of illegal dumping, which he described as “an albatross” around the ministry’s neck. Authorities have responded with covert surveillance measures, installing hidden cameras at known dumping sites, gullies, and problem areas. The minister warned offenders that detection is inevitable, expressing hope that subsequent prosecutions would serve as public deterrents.

Barbados is confronting a significant organized crime operation targeting its agricultural sector following the theft of approximately 10,000 pounds of yams from the Barbados Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (BADMC). The sophisticated theft occurred between the evening of January 2, 2026, and the early morning of January 5, 2026, marking one of several coordinated incidents across St. Philip and St. John parishes during that weekend.

The Barbados Police Service has launched a comprehensive investigation into the large-scale agricultural thefts that are depriving local farmers of their livelihoods and causing substantial financial damage estimated in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Authorities have alerted vendors and retailers to exercise extreme vigilance when approached with yam supplies, particularly given the commodity’s limited availability on the island.

In response to the criminal operation, BADMC has issued stringent guidelines for large-scale purchasers. Those buying more than 100 pounds of yams are urged to demand formal invoices, verify sellers’ identities through valid Farmers’ Identification cards or Barbados National Identification Cards, and obtain confirmation of the farm origin for all produce. These measures are designed to create an audit trail that will assist law enforcement in identifying the perpetrators.

The situation has drawn commentary from Minister of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security Indar Weir, who emphasized the critical role of public cooperation in combating praedial larceny (agricultural theft). Minister Weir stressed that existing laws require consistent enforcement and community participation to be effective, noting that tolerance of black market produce sales ultimately enables continued criminal activity.

BADMC is actively encouraging citizens to assist authorities in dismantling these organized theft networks that threaten both food security and agricultural sustainability in Barbados.

Prominent Barbadian agricultural producer Richard Armstrong has reached a critical juncture in his decades-long farming career, announcing plans to significantly scale back crop cultivation following massive organized thefts targeting his operations. The owner of Armag Farms revealed that thieves systematically stole approximately 15,000 pounds of yams from his St. John fields in recent weeks, with at least 3,000 pounds disappearing in a single night.

The Christmas period brought an alarming escalation in what Armstrong describes as ‘commercial crop theft’ rather than petty larceny. ‘These people are making a living off of it,’ he emphasized, noting the sophisticated nature of the operations that have pushed his farming enterprise to the brink of sustainability. The thefts have forced Armstrong into difficult security decisions, juggling limited protection between his yam fields in St. John and sweet potato crops in St. Philip.

Financial analysis reveals the staggering cost of security measures, with annual expenses approaching $80,000 including private security firms—a burden that cannot be passed to consumers given stagnant pricing structures. ‘We are price takers, not price setters,’ Armstrong explained, noting that potatoes currently sell at roughly the same price as forty years ago despite significantly increased production costs.

The psychological impact has been profound, with Armstrong describing decades of nightly anxiety about crop losses as ‘exhausting and demoralizing.’ He criticized the lack of enforcement regarding produce sales legislation, noting that receipt requirements exist on paper but remain unimplemented. The farmer also questioned why the Barbados Defence Force hasn’t been deployed as a deterrent, citing Jamaica’s successful use of military personnel to combat agricultural theft.

Armstrong warned that continued inaction threatens national food security, as large-scale producers reconsider their operations. With lower yam yields expected due to severe drought conditions in August and September, the coming year presents particularly challenging circumstances for Barbadian agriculture.