On 17 September 2020, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, Public Utilities, Energy, Transport and Implementation and the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) met with stakeholders in the trucking industry which included all commercial and private owners of flatbed vehicles and trucks including:
- Delivery open-bed and box trucks
- SL trucks
- Trucks involved in solid waste collection and disposal services
- Heavy duty equipment
- Tractor trailers
Permanent Secretary with responsibility for Transport, Anna Brizan, gave an overview of the operations of the transport division and the establishment of a deeper relationship with the stakeholders of the trucking industry. Brizan applauded the efforts of the truck operators/owners in showing their support and cooperation by coming out in their numbers, given the short notice.
During the meeting, the Permanent Secretary signalled the urgency to have derelict vehicles removed from roadsides. The widespread situation poses obstruction to traffic and [is] a major health and safety risk. Relevant authorities will be using a whole-of-government approach to have this situation addressed.
Brizan also informed the meeting about the proposed amendment to the Road Traffic Act which speaks to the establishment and function of the Grenada Transport Authority. She stated the Bill will be circulated to them in the upcoming week and a virtual session will be held to facilitate their review and feedback.
The issue of managing the hours of operations of trucks during peak hours of commute along the Grenville Vale Road was raised by the RGPF. Truck operators noted implications on businesses and waste collection. Further discussion on the feasibility of this along that and other roads is required and will take place in the weeks ahead. The feedback from the attendees was that the meeting was a success with a total of 63 people in attendance and the quality of discussions on issues raised.
The truck drivers made valuable contributions and suggestions, some of which were the need for more stakeholder inclusion on the part of the ministry when planning for the construction and refurbishment of the road network and also the need to have strategic planning for the road infrastructure in the country taking into account the development plans of the country. It was also highlighted that there is need to engage in root cause analysis of the issues pertaining to road transport and traffic management.
The RGPF and the ministry assured the truck operators/owners of the continued plan to work with the industry in resolving traffic and transport issues. It was noted that stakeholder engagements have been held with the bus associations as well as taxi associations. Other stakeholder meetings are also being planned for other stakeholder groups including bikers, general motorists and road users.
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