Carib Scope

标签： Barbados

巴巴多斯

  • No dangers in ferry service, says CEO

    No dangers in ferry service, says CEO

    A heated debate has emerged over the viability of a new inter-island ferry network linking Barbados and member states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), after an industry consultant questioned whether the service could withstand the region’s sea conditions. Project leader Dr Andre Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Barbados-based Pleion Group — parent company of service operator Connect Caribe — has pushed back hard against these claims, telling Barbados TODAY on Thursday that the vessels selected for the route are engineered to handle far harsher open-ocean conditions than the Eastern Caribbean ever produces.

    The controversy began earlier this week, when economic aviation consultant Jeremy Stephen raised sharp doubts about the project, arguing that frequent high swells and choppy water would make the ferry service unworkable. Thomas rejected this assessment outright, noting Stephen’s concerns lacked credible scientific backing, and outlined the design and track record of the overnight cruise ferries Connect Caribe plans to deploy.

    The vessels planned for the regional service belong to the large roll-on/roll-off passenger (Ro-Pax) vessel class, purpose-built to carry passengers, private vehicles and commercial freight across long-distance open water routes. Thomas pointed out that identical classes of ferries are already operated profitably year-round by major global shipping firms in far rougher international waters. These include DFDS’ cross-North Sea routes between Newcastle-Amsterdam and Copenhagen-Oslo, P&O Ferries’ Hull-Rotterdam service, and Brittany Ferries’ long-haul connections from Portsmouth to Caen and Santander.

    Thomas explained that the ferries earmarked for the Caribbean corridor range from 20,000 to over 60,000 gross tonnage, with deep drafts, active fin stabilizers, on-board cabins, restaurants, and dedicated full decks for vehicles and cargo. These large displacement vessels are explicitly designed for overnight open-water operation in conditions far more challenging than any recorded in the Eastern Caribbean, he added.

    “By any objective measure, the Eastern Caribbean is one of the calmest open-water ferry corridors in the world,” Thomas stated. “The claim that it is ‘too choppy’ to support a viable ferry network does not survive a five-minute look at global maritime data.” He added that modern large overnight cruise ferries operate daily, profitably, and year-round in waters that see wave heights two to five times higher than the Eastern Caribbean’s typical conditions.

    To back his argument, Thomas cited publicly available data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Hurricane Center, which shows the Eastern Caribbean’s average significant wave heights sit between three and seven feet, or 1 to 2 meters. Even during stronger trade wind surges, wave heights only reach five to eight feet, or 1.5 to 2.5 meters — conditions that Thomas says are well within the normal operating parameters for the planned vessel class.

    Thomas also pointed to longstanding regional precedent that proves the corridor is suitable for ferry operations. Germany’s FRS Group-owned FRS Express des Îles, formerly L’Express des Îles, has run scheduled passenger services across the exact same Eastern Caribbean stretch — connecting Guadeloupe, Les Saintes, Marie-Galante, Dominica, Martinique, and Saint Lucia — for more than 37 years, carrying roughly 850,000 passengers annually. This existing operation, Thomas argues, definitively confirms both that passenger demand exists and that the region’s sea conditions are suitable for sustained ferry service.

    While smaller regional passenger ferries already operate in the area, Thomas noted that the Eastern Caribbean currently lacks a large, stable overnight cruise ferry service that connects a broader network of islands, accommodates vehicles and freight, and positions inter-island travel as a comfortable, experience-focused journey for both locals and visitors. The project leadership’s pushback against criticism comes as stakeholders work to advance the landmark regional connectivity initiative.

  • PM puts distance from Transport Board sell-off

    PM puts distance from Transport Board sell-off

    A heated debate over the future of Barbados’ state-owned Transport Board has taken center stage at a recent public policy forum, where Prime Minister Mia Mottley pushed back hard against growing speculation that her administration intends to fully privatize the public transit entity. Instead, Mottley has reframed the widely discussed restructuring effort as a worker empowerment initiative that pairs expanded employee ownership with stricter island-wide regulation to guarantee reliable service for all communities, including underserved rural areas.

    The controversy reignited Wednesday during the Ideas Forum, where opposition St Peter candidate Jason Phillips of the Democratic Labour Party raised long-simmering public concerns about the government’s restructuring plans. Phillips echoed warnings first circulated late last year, when an official three-page letter from the Ministry of Transport and Works, signed by then-Permanent Secretary Jehu Wiltshire, was leaked to the public. The document confirmed that Cabinet had approved a transition to a new governing body, the Barbados Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), which would take over regulatory oversight of all public transit and hold the legal bill of sale for the Transport Board’s bus fleet. The leak triggered immediate pushback from the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados, which raised alarms about potential job insecurity and diminished service for rural residents.

    At the forum, Phillips doubled down on those concerns, arguing that profit-driven private operators would inevitably abandon low-revenue rural routes — such as those serving Boscobel and Indian Ground, where ridership is often thin during early morning and late-night trips. “I can’t see a businessman wanting to take his vehicle… to deep Boscobel with three people in it,” Phillips said, calling for binding legislation to mandate that critical routes and consistent schedules be maintained regardless of profitability. He emphasized that his concern centered on reliable access, not opposition to worker ownership, stressing that the priority must be protecting vulnerable rural commuters who depend entirely on public transit.

    Mottley drew a clear distinction between traditional privatization and what she calls “enfranchisement” to counter Phillips’ arguments, flatly stating: “There is no divestment of the Transport Board or privatization.” She explained that the proposed restructuring model would give Transport Board drivers and existing workers ownership stakes within the new system, rather than selling the entire entity to outside private investors. “We have said from the beginning that there is no divestment in the traditional sense. There is enfranchisement,” the prime minister said. “At the end of the day… the enfranchisement that is being entertained is to allow the drivers and the workers at the Transport Board to own.”

    Under the plan, the newly created BMTA will serve as a centralized regulator overseeing all public transit services across the island, including the Transport Board’s buses, independent minibuses, and route taxis. Mottley noted that the fragmented current system lacks consistent day-to-day oversight, a gap the BMTA will fill by enforcing strict licensing requirements. Operators that fail to meet their scheduled route obligations will lose their licenses, and the authority will implement a route rotation system to ensure no operator is stuck with only unprofitable routes, while no entity can hoard high-traffic, high-revenue corridors at the expense of rural communities. “If at the end of the day you are not operating your route to the terms and conditions of the license… you are out,” Mottley said, adding that the structure guarantees equitable service for all regions.

    Transport and Works Minister Kirk Humphrey reinforced Mottley’s position, dismissing any claims that outside private companies would take over the Transport Board. “There’s no company that’s coming in to own the Transport Board or none of those things you’re alluding to,” Humphrey said. He outlined that the government will retain supporting oversight while transferring bus ownership directly to workers, with the BMTA enforcing service standards to close long-standing gaps in rural transit. “The people will get a better service as opposed to less quality of service by the route that we are going,” he added.

    Critics have pointed out that Mottley and other senior members of her administration previously openly described the restructuring as a divestment effort, even as they framed it as worker-focused. During prior parliamentary debates and media appearances, top officials repeatedly used the term “divestment of the Transport Board” to describe the project. Deputy Prime Minister Santia Bradshaw, who previously served as Transport and Works Minister, told Parliament that the “divestment of the Barbados Transport Board” was “a serious exercise in enfranchisement” and guaranteed that concessions for elderly residents and schoolchildren would remain in place. At a ceremony marking the handover of 35 new electric buses at Bridgetown Port, Bradshaw told reporters: “the government is moving ahead with divesting the Transport Board amid growing public opposition and establishing a new mass transit system,” adding that “when we speak of divestment, we also equally speak of the enfranchisement of the workers of Barbados and the workers of the Barbados Transport Board.”

    The restructuring effort comes in response to decades of financial and operational instability at the Transport Board, which has required hundreds of millions in state subsidies to remain operational. Successive governments have called for a more sustainable funding model, while activists and opposition leaders have pushed to protect service access for low-income and rural commuters. The Mottley administration has repeatedly stated that vulnerable groups, including schoolchildren, pensioners, and low-wage essential workers, will retain their existing fare concessions and service access under the new framework. Despite the prime minister’s clarifications at the forum, Phillips maintained that the risk of profit-driven service cuts remains, and that ongoing public scrutiny will be needed to hold the government accountable to its promises.

  • BNSI urges workers to embrace AI

    BNSI urges workers to embrace AI

    As artificial intelligence reshapes workplaces across every global sector, the Barbados National Standards Institution (BNSI) is sounding a clear call to action: local workers and businesses that delay integrating AI and updating their change management frameworks risk falling permanently behind in an increasingly competitive digital economy. BNSI director Haydn Rhynd emphasized in an address to the Barbados Association of Administrative Professionals conference on Wednesday that the Caribbean nation simply cannot afford to put off embracing this transformative technology.

    Speaking exclusively to Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of the event, Rhynd acknowledged that widespread anxiety around AI’s impact on employment is common among the island’s workforce. Many workers, he noted, already grapple with internal fear of the unknown, with common concerns ranging from self-doubt about digital literacy to questions about whether they need full retraining to keep up, or even age-related anxiety about learning new systems. This tendency to view organizational and technological change as an inherently threatening force, he said, is the biggest barrier to widespread AI adoption on the island right now.

    Contrary to popular narratives that AI will eliminate millions of jobs, Rhynd argued that the technology is transforming existing roles rather than erasing them entirely. Workers that choose to embrace the shift rather than resist it will not only stay relevant in the evolving job market – they will gain a competitive edge that allows them to lead their fields. By learning to leverage AI tools to handle repetitive, mundane tasks, employees free up valuable time and mental bandwidth to focus on high-value work that relies on uniquely human skills like creativity, critical thinking, and interpersonal connection. This, Rhynd stressed, makes the current era of rapid technological change a fantastic opportunity rather than an unprecedented threat.

    To help local businesses and workers navigate this transition smoothly, BNSI has developed a comprehensive set of industry-specific change management standards designed to lower barriers to AI adoption. Beyond the standardized frameworks, the institution also offers hands-on training support tailored to organizations of all sizes and sectors. These training sessions walk participants through the fundamentals of working with AI, helping teams select the right tools for their specific operational needs and demystify the process of integration. Rhynd reported that growing numbers of previously reluctant Barbadian organizations are now recognizing the urgency of action, with more stakeholders than ever coming to the conclusion that inaction on AI is no longer a viable option.

    However, Rhynd also issued a critical caution for businesses rushing to integrate AI: the shift to the technology requires equal attention to strengthening cybersecurity and data protection protocols. Widespread questions remain around confidentiality, with many leaders unsure what types of internal information is safe to share with public AI tools, and how to build secure processes for data handling. To address this gap, BNSI also offers targeted standards to guide organizations through the process of building robust data protection frameworks that mitigate risk while still allowing them to benefit from AI capabilities.

    Pointing to the accelerating pace of AI innovation, Rhynd noted that the technology has already proven adaptable to virtually every sector of the global economy. From healthcare and food production to manufacturing, agriculture, finance, and general business operations, AI can deliver efficiency gains and productivity improvements across every part of Barbados’ economy. No industry can afford to write off AI as irrelevant to their work, he added, urging all stakeholders to move quickly to position the island for success in the AI-driven future.

  • Berger Paints closes plant, 44 jobs lost

    Berger Paints closes plant, 44 jobs lost

    A decades-long chapter of local paint manufacturing in Barbados is drawing to a close this week, as Berger Paints prepares to shutter all its local production, warehouse, retail and administrative facilities on Friday, putting 44 long-tenured employees out of work. While the company will continue selling its branded products through local retail partners, all manufacturing operations will be relocated to other sites across the Caribbean region. The company publicly confirmed its restructuring plan Wednesday, confirming the full scope of facility closures tied to its transition to a third-party distribution model.

    For the affected workers, many of whom have spent well over a decade building their careers with the firm, the sudden shift has brought devastating uncertainty and financial upheaval, according to Toni Moore, who serves both as a Member of Parliament and General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), the union representing the displaced employees. Moore noted that the average tenure of workers at the Berger Barbados plant ranges between 10 and 15 years, meaning most employees have structured their entire lives and livelihoods around steady employment at the company. Even though many are still within working age, their mid-career status makes a sudden job search particularly daunting, she added, and the unanticipated loss of long-term employment has taken a heavy emotional and psychological toll on workers who dedicated years of service to the brand.

    The controversy around the closure first emerged when the company announced its restructuring plans back in February, prompting immediate pushback from labor leaders and government officials over the alleged failure to follow legally mandated consultation processes. Barbados’ Minister of Labour Colin Jordan raised early concerns that the company had already finalized its decision to close the plant before starting required consultations with the Ministry of Labour and the workers’ union. Under Barbadian law, companies planning mass redundancies are required to conduct a six-week consultation period with affected stakeholders, and legal precedent mandates that these discussions must be substantive rather than procedural. Jordan argued that it is impossible to hold meaningful consultations when the final decision has already been made and is non-negotiable, adding that the pre-determined outcome undermines the entire process set out in national labor law.

    The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) has joined the BWU in condemning the decision, calling for a formal investigation over allegations that workers’ legal rights have been violated throughout the restructuring process. CTUSAB General Secretary Dennis Depeiza emphasized that the incident exposes critical gaps in labor regulation enforcement in the country, calling for a full review of existing oversight mechanisms under the national Employment Rights Act. Depeiza argued that stronger enforcement is needed to ensure companies comply with mandatory consultation procedures when planning business closures that result in mass layoffs, to prevent employers from cutting corners at the expense of workers’ rights.

    Moore also echoed widespread public concern over the company’s post-closure business model, noting that Berger Paints will continue to generate revenue from sales in Barbados even as it eliminates all local manufacturing jobs. Currently, the company has arrangements in place to keep its products on local shelves through retail partners including Carters (operating via Blades and Williams) and Ace H&B Hardware, with all production moving to regional facilities outside Barbados. As labor groups continue to push for accountability, questions remain about whether the company followed all legal requirements for the closure, and what support will be provided to the dozens of workers who lost their livelihoods this week.

  • First Citizens back as title sponsor for King of the Hill

    First Citizens back as title sponsor for King of the Hill

    Barbados’ iconic motorsport community has received a major boost, with regional financial group First Citizens confirming it will return as title sponsor of the annual King of the Hill rally event for the fifth consecutive year. The Barbados Rally Club (BRC) made the official announcement Thursday, also sharing that the 2025 running of the event, scheduled for May 24, will mark the fourth time the competition has been hosted at the fan-favorite 4-kilometer Stewarts Hill stage, located on the island’s southeastern coast.

    King of the Hill, first launched in 2008, serves a critical role in Barbados’ motorsport calendar: it sets the starting running order for Rally Barbados, the island’s premier annual rally competition held the following weekend. First Citizens has held the title sponsorship rights to the event since 2020, marking a multi-year commitment to growing Caribbean motorsport.

    Beyond its home base of Trinidad and Tobago, First Citizens has built a widespread regional presence across the Eastern Caribbean, with operations in Barbados, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Costa Rica.

    Event director Neil Barnard expressed enthusiasm for both the continued sponsorship and the return to the beloved Stewarts Hill venue. “It’s fantastic to have First Citizens back on board as we return to Stewarts Hill in St Philip,” Barnard said. “It’s a real fan favourite and seeing the cars coming down the Thicket straight to turn left up the hill is always spectacular.”

    Claire Jordan, CEO of First Citizens, reaffirmed the financial group’s long-term commitment to the rally and its community impact. “Since we began this partnership, our goal has been simple: to help elevate this event into an experience that inspires both competitors and spectators alike,” Jordan explained. “Our shared vision is that King of the Hill continues to bring international exposure to Barbados’s vibrant motorsport community and supports economic opportunity for our people.”

    The 2024 edition of the event saw Stuart Maloney claim the victory behind the wheel of a Skoda Fabia Rally2, making him the fourth distinct winner of the event since First Citizens took over title sponsorship in 2020.

    King of the Hill has a rich 17-year history of venue changes across Barbados. The inaugural 2008 event was hosted at Turners Hall in St. Andrew, before the competition moved to its first stint at Stewarts Hill, then to Sailor Gully in St. Peter. From 2011 to 2018, the event found a semi-permanent home at Hangmans Hill in St. Thomas, with a one-off move to Luke Hill in St. Lucy in 2013. Following two additional years at Stewarts Hill, the 2021 event was canceled entirely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2022 and 2024, the event split its hosting between St. Thomas and a stage passing Society Plantation in St. John, before this year’s return to Stewarts Hill.

  • Williams set to defend Commonwealth Games title

    Williams set to defend Commonwealth Games title

    Barbadian sprint sensation Sada Williams, the reigning women’s 400m Commonwealth Games champion and current Games record holder, has confirmed she will return to compete for back-to-back titles at this summer’s 2024 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. The decorated Olympian and two-time world championship bronze medalist made the announcement fresh off her latest 400m victory at Jamaica’s Velocity Fest last weekend, locking in her spot for the multi-sport event running from July 23 to August 2.

    For Williams, the opportunity to repeat her 2022 Birmingham triumph and deliver another gold medal to her home nation carries special meaning. “To repeat that (winning the Commonwealth title) and give my country another gold medal, that would be really great,” Williams shared following her Velocity Fest win.

    Details on Barbados’ full competing delegation remain under wraps, however, as the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA) navigates an unexpected scheduling conflict between the 2024 Commonwealth Games and this year’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games. BOA President Sandra Osbourne, who also serves as Vice-president of Commonwealth Sport, shared the latest update during a facility tour of the BOA headquarters by Commonwealth Sport executives this Wednesday.

    Osbourne confirmed that while Williams’ participation is settled, the full Barbadian roster will not be finalized until closer to the late-June entry deadline. “It is our understanding that Sada is going to be there to defend her gold medal, but it’s kind of too early to say what our team will look like because the entry by name deadline is near the end of June, so we don’t know exactly what the team will look like. We have a long list but we are really not in a position at this point to say who will actually compete,” Osbourne explained.

    The overlapping timing of the two major regional and international competitions has added unforeseen complexity to BOA’s planning, as organizers work to split athletes and staff between the two events. “That has created a level of complexity, whereby we have to manage two sets of teams, who goes where, and it’s not been easy,” Osbourne said. She noted that the scheduling conflict stemmed from the late awarding of the 2024 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, which left organizers with limited options to secure a spot on the international sports calendar.

    Despite the logistical hurdles, Osbourne emphasized that Barbados will not be put at a disadvantage by the overlapping schedule. The BOA has allocated dedicated leadership for both events, including separate chef de mission and deputy roles for the Commonwealth Games and CAC Games, allowing the association to split resources effectively. “We have enough resources that we have been able to have a dedicated chef and deputy chef for Commonwealth Games as well as for CAC and we will split our teams and cover both to the best of our ability. I am confident that there will be no difference in terms of our participation and readiness for either of those games,” Osbourne maintained.

    Charles Griffith, Barbados’ Minister of Youth, Sport and Community Empowerment, who joined the Commonwealth Sport executive tour, expressed confidence in the nation’s athletes ahead of the Glasgow Games. Griffith highlighted Williams’ proven track record of success, alongside the rising form of other Barbadian athletes competing across multiple disciplines, predicting a strong showing for the delegation in Scotland.

    “I know that Sada Williams, she flew the flag in terms of getting us that coveted medal [in 2022] and based on the performances that we saw coming out of Grenada and then there are some other athletes who are plying their trade in different disciplines, I suspect that we will have a very good showing in Glasgow. I look forward to that because it can only bring more joy and pleasure to the country,” Griffith said.

  • Female interest in ICT careers growing

    Female interest in ICT careers growing

    A growing number of school-aged girls across Barbados are increasingly drawn to careers in information and communication technology (ICT), marking a significant shift in a sector long dominated by male professionals, according to the country’s Data Protection Commissioner Lisa Greaves. Greaves shared the update with reporters on the sidelines of 2024’s Girls in ICT Day, an annual global event hosted this year under the forward-looking theme “AI for Development: Girls Shaping the Digital Future”. This year marks only the second time the Caribbean nation has hosted the in-person event, and organizers are already seeing measurable progress in changing entrenched cultural perceptions about technology careers. “For generations, ICT has been viewed as a male-centric field, so the core goal of this initiative is to open young girls’ eyes to the range of rewarding career pathways available to them in the sector and help them build early interest,” Greaves explained in her remarks. “We want to empower young women to see ICT as a viable, exciting career option for them, to imagine themselves as innovators and active architects of the digital future we all share.” What makes this growing interest particularly notable is the consistent upward trend in participation that organizers have tracked since the first event. Greaves confirmed that interest has climbed steadily year over year, with a stark jump in attendance that signals a broader cultural shift among young Barbadians engaging with tech-focused opportunities. “We’ve definitely seen a clear uptick in interest,” she noted. “Last year, our numbers were much lower, and each year the event gets bigger. Whenever we visit local schools to talk about ICT, both boys and girls come away energized and curious about the career options available.” Beyond growing attendance, the nature of the interest is also expanding: girls are no longer only looking at traditional technology roles, they are increasingly exploring newer, creative career tracks across the digital ecosystem. Popular areas of interest now include social media-focused ICT applications for digital marketing, influencer content creation, and cybersecurity, alongside longstanding core roles like database administration and chief technology officer positions that remain in high demand across industries. To put the growth in perspective, Greaves revealed that just 40 girls attended the event in 2023, while more than 100 participated in 2024’s activities. This expanding interest does not happen by accident, Greaves added: the upward trend is supported by a year-round suite of outreach initiatives designed to keep ICT accessible and top of mind for students across the island. Alongside the annual Girls in ICT Day, organizers host a yearly Science Festival that centers technology engagement, as well as school road shows that travel across the country to connect with students directly. In total, three to four dedicated outreach programs roll out every year to nurture growing curiosity about the sector. Thursday’s 2024 event gathered around 100 students from 10 different secondary schools across Barbados, giving attendees hands-on, interactive exposure to a wide range of cutting-edge emerging technologies. Participants got to test immersive virtual reality systems, practice foundational coding skills, and watch live demonstrations of real-world cybersecurity investigation work. The day’s activities also included interactive drone flight exercises, basic robotics challenges, and even water robotics projects, which helped students understand how ICT principles apply to a diverse range of sectors and real-world use cases, from environmental management to engineering.

  • Defending champs Bulls win playoff opener

    Defending champs Bulls win playoff opener

    The Barbados Basketball Association Premier League semifinal playoff action got off to a thrilling start this week, with defending title holders Burger King Clapham Bulls pulling off a nail-biting one-point victory to open their series against Fusionz Boutique Station Hill Cavaliers. Hosted at the Barbados Community College on Tuesday, the first semifinal matchup lived up to all expectations of high-stakes postseason basketball, with both teams trading baskets down to the final seconds.

    For the Bulls, who had to fight through constant pressure from the Cavaliers to hold onto their lead, the offense was anchored by standout guard Akeem Marsh, who poured in a game-high 24 points to lead all scorers. Simeon Maynard backed up Marsh with a solid 22-point contribution, while Rasheed Maynard added 13 key points to round out the team’s top performers. The Cavaliers matched the Bulls nearly shot for shot throughout the contest: leading scorer Deveron Knight matched Marsh’s 24-point output, and three of his teammates chipped in with 15 points apiece – Gavin Philips, Saeed Norville, and Darren Hunte all delivered strong offensive performances, but it was not enough to overtake the defending champions. When the final buzzer sounded, the Bulls held on for an 86-85 hard-fought win.

    In the other opening semifinal game, C.A.M Smart Assurance City United Celtics turned in a far more decisive performance, pulling away from KFC Pinelands to secure a comfortable 94-80 victory. Kiserian Adams led the charge for the Celtics, dropping a game-high 28 points to set the tone for his team. Derion Hurley added 16 points off the court, while Theo Greenidge contributed 11 points to the winning effort. KFC Pinelands put up a solid fight in defeat, with Carl Thorpe leading the side with 22 points, Rachad Hall adding 20, and Adriel Brathwaite chipping in 17 of his own.

    The playoff series will now shift to the next round of matchups, with both second games scheduled to take place this coming Saturday at the Barbados Community College. If a third and deciding game is needed in either series to determine which team advances to the league final, it will be held on April 29.

  • MTW to remove unauthorised billboards on highways

    MTW to remove unauthorised billboards on highways

    Barbados’ Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW) has launched a crackdown on unregulated outdoor advertising cluttering public road infrastructure, announcing a mandatory removal order for unauthorized billboards and sidewalk sandwich boards that have increasingly appeared along local highways in recent months.

    Jason Bowen, MTW’s Deputy Chief Technical Officer for Design Services, confirmed in an official statement that ministry authorities have been monitoring the spread of these unpermitted advertising structures across public right-of-way areas. The ministry is now giving business owners a 30-day window to voluntarily take down any unauthorized advertising materials placed on sidewalks, traffic islands, road verges, official road signs, and other public street furniture. Only advertising structures that have received prior formal approval from MTW will be allowed to remain in place.

    The enforcement action is backed by existing national legislation: Section 13 of the Highway Act, Chapter 289, explicitly grants MTW’s Chief Technical Officer the legal authority to remove and dispose of any object or material intentionally placed on any highway in Barbados without proper authorization. Business owners that fail to comply with the voluntary removal order will not only face financial penalties but also be held responsible for covering all costs associated with the ministry’s enforced removal.

    MTW has also issued guidance for businesses seeking to use sandwich boards and similar small-format advertising materials. The ministry advises all operators to only place such advertising on private land after securing approval from property owners, and strictly avoid placing any commercial signage on public road-related property to prevent running afoul of the Highway Act. This crackdown comes as part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to maintain clear, safe road infrastructure and reduce visual clutter that can distract drivers and block pedestrian pathways.

  • Grotto set for major overhaul

    Grotto set for major overhaul

    After years of unaddressed safety complaints from residents of the decade-old Grotto housing complex in Beckles Road, Barbados, the national government has greenlit urgent intervention, with repair work set to kick off almost immediately. The announcement from Housing, Lands and Maintenance Minister Chris Gibbs comes in direct response to mounting resident pressure, who have long labeled the 76-unit high-rise a public safety hazard. Speaking exclusively to Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of Wednesday’s Pendry Hotel topping-off ceremony, Gibbs confirmed that the National Housing Corporation (NHC) has received full funding to resolve the structural and infrastructure failures that have upended daily life for the complex’s tenants.

    While the minister declined to share the exact dollar amount allocated for the Grotto upgrades, he outlined the core problems the funding will resolve: long-running severe water leaks that have penetrated living spaces and compromised electrical systems, and widespread gaps in basic security that have left residents feeling vulnerable. Gibbs confirmed that project planning is already complete, including selection of the specialized sealant needed for the leaking roof that has been the complex’s most persistent complaint. “The money has been allocated, so we’ll be starting that project almost immediately,” the minister stated.

    The commitment arrives at a breaking point for Grotto residents, who recently detailed their years-long struggle with unsafe living conditions to Barbados TODAY. Tenants Uwine and Charmaine Dominique explained that during rainstorms, they are forced to line floors with towels and catch water that drips directly onto electrical panels – a serious electrocution risk that has gone unaddressed for years. Beyond water damage, many residents, particularly women living alone, have reported traumatic experiences navigating the complex after dark. Outdated site design leaves few parking spots close to building entrances, forcing residents to walk long distances through poorly lit areas that attract vagrants and would-be intruders.

    Gibbs openly acknowledged that the original development design failed to account for the modern needs of the people who call the complex home. “The parking was not optimised to the amount of residents there. We are looking at solutions there, because when you come home and there is no parking for you, you might have to park a ways off and then people have some concerns based on security. You can understand it,” he admitted. In addition to critical roof repairs, the government will also upgrade the complex’s failed lighting system, a gap that has allowed unwanted trespassers to operate with impunity according to residents.

    The minister also used the announcement to signal a broader policy shift within the Ministry of Housing, moving toward a more proactive, professional model of public property management that frames tenants as key stakeholders rather than just occupants. “I look at our residents as our clients. We definitely have to make sure that not only are their units safe and secure, but that we have audits periodically so that we can get ahead of issues before they present themselves,” Gibbs explained.

    The Grotto upgrades are drawn from the $13.3 million earmarked for the NHC in the upcoming fiscal year’s total $137.5 million national housing budget. This funding is part of a wider national infrastructure modernization push, which also includes a $56 million Resilience and Regeneration Fund focused on climate-proofing publicly owned properties across the country.

    While the repairs will deliver immediate relief to Grotto tenants, longer-term, transformative change is also on the horizon for the St. Michael development. Under the recently passed State Acquisition and Vesting of Property Bill, eligible Grotto residents may eventually transition from being public housing tenants to full homeowners. The landmark legislation is designed to cut through decades of bureaucratic gridlock, and will ultimately grant full property ownership to close to 3,900 qualifying tenants across 27 public housing estates nationwide.

    For the immediate future, however, the government’s focus remains on resolving urgent safety issues and carrying out preliminary beautification work that will start in the coming weeks. “We will also be doing beautification across the estates as well, and The Grotto is included in that too,” Gibbs confirmed.