Public transport overhaul could cost CI$50M
(CNS): The long-awaited report from Deloitte reviewing the local transport network indicates that replacing the current mismatched private transport system with an electric government-owned and managed fleet, with depots, community routes and bus lanes, could cost at least $50 million. However, this will cut traffic by more than 20%, reduce emissions and create a reliable, modern system that the public will want to use.
The report was completed and handed to Cabinet back in May but only made public this week. It outlines a full overhaul of the existing private bus system and offers two options for a formal, publicly owned and run network.
The first option is to create a government-run public bus system that provides services to all districts and communities on Grand Cayman, where all but a few routes originate from a single central bus depot. This could include a community service originating from the depot, along with designated loading locations for other routes.
The second option is for a government-run system with a central bus depot and sub-depots within selected communities, a drop-off and pick-up point for an express bus service to and from the central depot, and a park-and-ride for travellers using the express service only.
The recommendations emerged from what the consultants found were the inadequacies of the current system. The 154-page report outlines a significant number of recommendations, such as redesigning the routes, scheduling and hours of operations, as well as training staff and providing wifi aboard what would be electric buses.
With many areas, including Red Bay, Prospect, Savanah, Newlands, Northward, Beach Bay and Bodden Town, inadequately serviced by the existing buses, the consultants set out a plan for a much more comprehensive system, with bigger buses running more frequently and around the clock along additional routes.
But the costs could mount significantly, given the price of bigger EV buses, the need for a redeveloped depot in George Town, new sub-depots, bus lanes, bus shelters, many more drivers and the technology required for users to check an app to see where their bus is.
In September 2022, Deloitte won the $200,000 contract to assess the public transport strategy and propose a new public bus system. The consultants began by engaging with stakeholders, including the island’s largest employers and the current bus owners, as well as the public transport unit, which currently coordinates the private drivers who provide the existing limited bus routes.
The report makes it clear that for either of the two options the consultants have proposed, transitioning to a new modern national transport system will require a great deal of work by “a qualified team of change management professionals given the complexity of the change requirements”.
With a price tag in excess of $50 million to complete the process, the report stresses the importance of maintaining affordable fares that work out less costly than owning a private car. The consultants note that the importation of cheap cars to Cayman has been driven by the inadequate system. They noted that there are almost 6,000 Honda Fits on the road, most of which are at least ten years old, illustrating how many people have defaulted to cheap cars to get around Cayman in the absence of a reliable bus service.
The consultants also warn that getting this costly project right will require a clear definition of what success looks like for the system. The main aims are to reduce traffic congestion, improve the passenger experience, increase productivity for employers and reduce the cost of living with a lower-cost transport option.
“It is difficult to determine if a national government-run public bus system will deliver… unless it is designed to achieve the stated results,” the consultants stated, advising the government on the importance of aligning stakeholders on the expected outcomes.
The success, they said, will also depend on the efficient transition from the current service to one run by the government. Despite its inadequacies, many people still rely on the current system, and the service cannot be reduced during the transition. The government will have to ensure that the “response from the private operators is carefully managed”, the consultants said, given the need for the existing services to be maintained until the new buses roll out.
In a press release after the report was finally made public, officials from the Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure, which is now responsible for transport, revealed it had been given the green light by Cabinet to develop a business case to create a Department of Transportation.
It will look at bringing the National Roads Authority (NRA), the Department of Vehicle and Driver’s Licensing (DVDL) and the Public Transport Unit (PTU) together as one entity dedicated to organising, designing and maintaining all aspects of local transport. This department would also be charged with implementing the new government transport network.
“This is the first step in more than a structural change,” said Transport Minister Jay Ebanks. “By analysing these departments collectively and holistically, we are laying down the tracks for a transportation system that is safer, more reliable, and ready to meet the demands of our growing population.”
It was not clear from the release what the minister or ministry officials think of the costly report from Deloitte. It merely stated that the ministry would be “harnessing insights” from it and would “make informed, data-driven decisions that will underpin the future transportation blueprint”. The ministry also said it is working with a team of dedicated transport experts from the UK’s Department for Transport.
Officials said they will be spending the next six months developing projects and strategies to deliver a transport system that meets the community’s current and future needs.
See the full report on the government website here.
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Category: Local News
Make the bus drivers government paid and not paid by the amount of fares they collect and implement as bus pass card system. Have detailed specific routes with a pick up time schedule for depots, stations, pick up points and GPS trackers on busses to ensure they are not speeding and cutting people off like they do now. Cameras on busses to ensure they do not over fill busses as I have personally witnessed (people sitting on steps by door) and a tangible penalty system to the drivers for infractions.
Am I missing it in the report or did they not actually ask anyone other than Ritz Carlton employees whether or not they would actually take a bus?!!
“People who work in West Bay Rd hotels” (the group surveyed by Dart) are not exactly representative of the population.
The only reason to insist on it being EV, on an island where our power comes from diesel and we can’t export the batteries at end of life, is to make it cost prohibitive. So who’s idea was this?
I do not live on a main road, by the time I walked to the end of my road I would be dripping in sweat. Not to mention the personal time that I would lose having to walk to a bus stop, wait for it, make sure I catch one early enough to get to work on time.
What about picking my kids up from school and if I need to run errands on the way home. Then I have to walk from a bus stop with my child and bags of groceries?
just copy what jersey do. They need digital bus boards at each bus stop too, to show the arrival times of buses and bus schedules. They should actually go into people’s neighbourhoods too so people don’t have to walk a mile just to get the bus
If there was an automatic $5 road use toll for every vehicle transporting a single occupant, and viable alternatives like scaled public transport and protected bicycle lanes, our congestion issues would disappear overnight.
More taxes, really !
CNS will you please provide a link to the Deloitte report when it becomes available?
CNS NOTE: Its at the bottom of the article but here it is again – https://www.gov.ky/publication-detail/assessment-of-a-public-transport-strategy—final-report
We have a policy manipulated and influenced solely by NEPC, with no mention of alternative bus types. The only option considered was electric vehicles (EVs), without recognizing the potential benefits of other fuel types. This report needs to be revised to avoid bias and present a more comprehensive perspective.
Walton is not a solution. He is part of the grandstanding Masons.
What unna gonna do when those ev/Lith batteries get chucked in the dump in 10 years and start massive fires?
Derp Derp…
Li-ion are supposed to be recycled
please show us where the li-ion recycling plant is here because ships will not transport old li ion batteries.
If you look at the population increase stories in various media over the last month, any gains from public transportation will be offset by uncontrolled population increase. Plugging a leak at one end of a house while at the other end a firehose is gushing water into the house.
Just look at what is coming: Dart shortly starting another 10 story office tower at Camana Bay while filling its recently finished one; Flowers building a huge new building on Elgin; ten story Hotel Indigo opening in a year, Hyatt going up etc. What this means is more people are coming, which means more kids, more teachers, new or expanded supermarkets etc.
Slightly related. Airport connector road (to at least partially reduce logjam at ALT roundabout) ready beginning of September.
So…which September was the NRA referring to earlier this year?
Disappointing that ferries weren’t even addressed, to ride on the largest open “road” in Cayman, the North Sound.
Why not test a park-and-ferry service from, say, Red Bay (and one more location) to Camana Bay during weekdays, using proper ferries? The Bermuda model of busses and ferries has worked for decades with a similar population.
I have used them on my trips there, crossing the Great Sound into Hamilton. Very efficient and enclosed (weather protected), can work, listen to music while etc. And very relaxing to cruise across the water vs stop and go traffic.
It works and is organized:
http://www.rccbermuda.bm/Documents/Ferry/Winter%20Ferry%20Schedule%202023-24.pdf
Even if perfectly implemented as outlined in the report, and a reduction of 20% of current private vehicle drivers is achieved, it is only a few year until the population increases by 20% negating the benefits.
Still better than doing nothing and being in a worse position, no?
PTU buses can be scaled-up with population, offsetting cars.
On the Brac, thank goodness for Kevin Foster and Vanessa Hunter and their taxi service. (The other guy has been witnessed drinking alcohol while operating his taxi. Police have been told but nothing has changed.) Just one bus would be great.
$50M can build us a new hospital to service a 150K population.
Or half a school.
So will the Deloitte partners be giving up their Audi’s, BMW’s & Mercedes?
don’t watch them. head down, and focus on getting your own bread.
Touché
If you look at countries and economies that have gone into terminal decline, they usually go from having viable public transport systems to a mishmash of mini bus operators. South Africa and Jamaica are examples of this.
Cayman has not even bothered to attempt viable public transport and gone straight for the mini bus approach.
It comes down to political priorities. Effective administration always loses out to pet projects at the political level.
This will never be implemented. Since the party politics came into play, every government has provided so much lip service and BS that we have now became a minority in our own country. Who is benefiting from all this progress? Surly not I! I have to work longer hours now just to keep the lights on for house I only sleep in. Sad situation when you see people breaking into houses to steal food from someone’s fridge!
I am not taking any bus with the very poor driving standards of the bus drivers. They are the worst!
Public bus drivers must be certified to operate a full size bus, regularly screened for drugs. None of the existing mini van drivers are qualified, unless they are re-educated, certified.
minature dubai/quatar in making ..where only rich survive…zzzz
Electric??????????????????????????
Are they kidding?
Oh for gods sake it doesn’t have to be electric! What the hell is wrong with these people? Getting 40 people out of 30 cars and into 1 bus is already a huge environmental improvement. Just buy regular modern diesel busses and get it done for a fraction of the price. I’ll wager whoever idiotic idea this was was deliberate to protect the current status quo.
Barbados’ Chinese electric buses were 3x the cost and held much fewer people (more space taken up for powertrain electrics) than the diesel Mercedes buses.
Agree. Dont complicate things unnecessarily.
I’ll wager it has been made deliberately complicated and expensive in order to illicit no support and protect the current bus and taxi drivers
So, Option A, $50m for a comprehensive bus service, that reduces the need for public vehicles on the roads, reduces emissions, reduces traffic and generally makes life better for everyone.
Or
Option B $50m for a new high school in the Brac, another of Juliana’s white elephant vanity projects so she can continue to try and convince all her voters how great she is whilst simultaneously failing this and future generations with her failed education polices.
Trust our Government of elected buffoons to choose Option B. So fellow voters, when you’re sitting in your car in traffic next time, maybe actually consider who you are voting for in the next election and perhaps vote for someone who is decent, honest and actually part of a Government that is going to get things done for Cayman.
Neither should cost $50m
If a new bus was $50k and you bought 20 of them it would be $1m.
We all know they’re not going to add roads for this so we don’t need to budget for that.
Employ some drivers and charge fares that cover their salary. Subsidize it if needed. If 20 drivers made 50k per year that’s $1m to be offset via fares and subsidy.
What else? We don’t need $200k or 150 pages to go through that.
Make them drive their route – free
Tell them to stop at the stops – free
Start and arrive on time – free
What else? Did we miss anything.
EV busses is stupid and completely unnecessary at this point and can always be done in the future when an EV bus is $50k instead of $1m
you have my vote. what’s your name?
Most points are on point, but new buses (diesel or electric) cost more than 50k. An old Coaster bus costs 30 to 50k, minimum.
Bring in 20 buses at 200k to 300k is going to be still pretty reasonable. All the current drivers would be let go, or need proper training.
https://www.liveabout.com/bus-cost-to-purchase-and-operate-2798845
A bus is not cheap. If you’re buying a cheap bus, expect that you will spend far more replacing and repairing it in the long run.
Agreed though that fully electric may not be the best route at this time, but we should consider hybrids for the lower lifetime operating costs.
That’s about what Kenny Beach and Kenny World are going to end up costing.
If they ever happen.
Kenneth does not have the education or intellectual/management wherewithal to organize anything lager than small package deliveries. Even in that he was a failure.
Like all narcissistic individuals, talk and seeing his picture in the media is all he’s good for.
Highly doubtful that suddenly Cayman will use public transport especially in this hot humid weather sweating unlikely these bus stops will drop off people close enough to their building to want them to not use their cars. Let’s not forget then getting groceries and so many picking up their kids. Cayman is a wealthy country and its residents are not going to “stoop so low” as to stand for a bus in rain or 30+ degree heat.
Easier solution is offer incentives for people to drive those tiny smart cars and expand the main roads to have more lanes or designated lanes for those smart cars.
Have the politicians act by example and go “car free” for a year and see how they do… starting with Panton no longer having that big gas guzzling SUV.
Problem is there are no bus stops just a few bus shelters organized by Rotary.
So let’s get the land for bus stops first. The CIG is putting the cart before the horse.
$50 million that will reduce traffic by 20% and benefit the majority of people on the island – about the same amount of money that Kenny wants to spend to build a private jet terminal that will be used by a handful of people. Guess which one will get built.
I have a friend who only flies private and visits CI often. When I told him about the private jet terminal, he started laughing and said, “Why? You already have one.”
$50-Million? Not in Cayman. Double it and add 20%. $120-Million.
You heard it here first.
Add in the Woke $100million (at least) planned prison to keep our imported and home grown scum well fed and comfortable, if they get caught.
Not with my money Bobo…
$50M??? Is that all??? GO!!!!!!!!!
This, more than anything else within our community will benefit the people — those that pay ever day with their duties and fees and fines into CIG.
Please finalise a bid document and get it rolling.
p.s. If we could even contemplate a new high school on the Brac for the same amount, surely this is a national win-win.
I mean, I could have saved them most of the 200k. Deloitte must have been gleeful to get such an easy study.
Then this means that there will be no EWA….great.
So after the necessary padding, sidestepping of procurement process and contracting of friends, family, buddies for all and sundry it’s around CI$150M then?
If this is ever implemented, this is only one step towards our transportation issues. This is half the battle towards changing our one-car-per-person culture.
Deregulate the taxis and allow for young Caymanians that have a valid license to Uber/Lyft in Cayman. Let the government subsidize their commercial insurance. We need more frequent and cheaper rides, especially late night as an alternative to locals drunk driving and tourists who get stranded because the one taxi out late is who knows where.
I admit I am an old fart. I would NEVER take an Uber/Lyft in this current atmosphere, any more than I would trust a taxi, unless it was Miss Tammy, who has been here forever and never lets you down.
We NEED safe, comfortable, scheduled and reliable public transportation. HAVE needed it for quite some time. If I could walk six blocks or less and wait for an air-conditioned bus that I knew was coming at a certain time, my world would be significantly less complicated. If that bus was electric, all the better, although I tend to doubt that our infrastructure could be brought up to speed to make it work.
Imagine……….. you want to go to work in George Town, or really, anywhere, and you read a book or look at your phone and wait a few minutes, and a bus stops and takes you where you want to go with safety and comfort, just like in the rest of the world.
What a glorious world that would be.
So you want me to subsidise your alcoholism? (At best an inability to have fun without drugging yourself so stupid you can’t drive.) Geee, that’s a real good argument you have there.
“Uber/Lyft in Cayman. Let the government subsidize their commercial insurance. We need more frequent and cheaper rides, especially late night as an alternative to locals drunk driving”
Elevated light rail going from Bodden Town through George Town to Public Beach.
Free electricity from the waste to energy plant.
Let’s get it done people.
Free electricity from the boondoggle project that is slated to be more than $1,000,000,000? (Okay, you get some waste management thrown in too for that price). I suggest you recalibrate your expectations to reality.
Should cost less than $20 million to build. Not sure why it has to cost so much more in Cayman.
government-run! That is enough to worry. We can’t even get a 4 way stop / traffic light at Hurley’s
PTU overhaul requires qualified leadership that we are supposed to already be paying for. It shouldn’t cost more than putting a geo tracking cashless/touchless electronic payment point of sale system in each vehicle. Some companies provide these for free, with the backend CRM. We just don’t have people in charge that can adapt to the changing world and technologies. The CIG is never happy until it’s satisfied we have paid four times for failing service execution.
The NRA needs to deliver the bike lanes that were supposed to be part of every new road and refurbishment since 2015…where are they?
Hahahahhahahahahahahaahhaahha….more visions of grandeur .
At that price tag, how is it feasible to keep it affordable for the current passengers and convince car owners to switch completely to save cost? I doubt I would fully give up the car but might use it less to save on gasoline. Cayman’s lack of infrastructure such as walkways and buslanes (and the limitation to create them) is another challenge. People used to remain dry from home to office in case of rain or scorching heat will be hesitant to walk to a bus stop on busy roads instead of taking their own car. What would happen to current bus drivers? Can they be retained and compensated according to what they are making currently? I think the suggestions are too far fetched and the new board needs to start smaller with more bus stops and a regular schedule to the eastern districts and go from there.
1) How is it affordable? good question – The $50m would be spread over the life of the project (perhaps 10 – 15 years). If they can reduce traffic by 20% and there are roughly 40k cars (a guess) on the road each day that’s about 16k journeys per day (40 x 20% x 2 journeys (there and back). Ignoring weekends that’s 4m bus trips per year or 60m in 15 years. So, the cost would be less than $1 per ride based on these admittedly – back of an envelope calculations. $1 is not unreasonable.
2) I wouldn’t give up my car either but I would also be willing to take a bus if it was easy, the bus was new, had wifi etc and only cost a few dollars.
3) Bus lanes seem to be part of the recommendations in the consultation paper.
4) In addition to walking in the heat/rain the waiting at a bus stop in the heat (or rain if overcrowded) would be a problem. Perhaps tech and an app could be used to monitor the time until next few buses arrives, the number of empty spots on the bus and the number of people waiting at the bus stop so you can plan your journey better? Also payment could be made through the app so no need to carry correct change.
5) If the idea is to expand the bus network then it seems reasonable that all current drivers could be employed in the new fleet. Compensation can be figured out, that’s relatively simple.
6) the consultation proposals might seems big/far fetched but consider the roads are very overloaded and a band aid approach won’t cure the problem. Similar public transport systems are already in place in other countries as is the tech so other than finding the money the rest should actually be relatively straightforward to implement (at least in theory).
7) Agreed bus routes could be massively improved with better services to outlying districts – this is recognized in the consultation too though
As for the staying dry in rain and out of the scorching heat- your point is sound- to a point. Let’s remember that this wouldn’t be the first BOT, country, state, or city that has public bus transportation where it is warm, hot, or has frequent rain/showers.
Millions (billions perhaps) have adapted to this reality elsewhere- I’m certain 10’s of thousands can in Cayman.
Full electric busses is not a great idea for this island. There are major drawbacks in using them on this island.
#1 Practicality: If there is a hurricane or other damage to our grid, these million dollar busses will be expensive paperweights.
#2 Cost, Repairs and Longevity: Battery powered vehicles cost significantly more to buy than LPG or Diesel powered busses. Add to the fact they are drawing power from our diesel powered CUC, there needs to be a study on actually how much cleaner it would be. Lots of money could be saved by using LPG and it runs 20% cleaner than diesel. Also, electric cars are flawed as battery packs are not easily changed and anyone who’s ever owned an electric car will tell you that its easier to replace the entire vehicle than to repair the batteries if they either malfunction or wear out.
#3 Infrastructure, Fire Hazard and Range: Can CUC’s power grid handle this extra load? I’m sure they could supply the power but can the grid handle charging 10’s of these high powered busses every day? The amount of batteries needed cfor these busses can be a huge fire hazard in the event of a malfunction or accident. Add to the fact the downtime to charge these busses. It can take many hours to fully charge even with high powered charging stations. It’s also the cost of installing these stations on top of the excessive cost to buy the busses (And extra ones because of downtime) in the first place.
LPG would be the most practical, green and cost effective way to run a new bus service at this time on this island. My educated opinion on it anyways…
I strongly agree as CUC will be set to make a killing on EVs. Should the bus stations be equipped with PV charging systems CUC will benefit hand over fist. I doubt the final price tag will end up being even close to less than 100% more than estimated. The ride price needs to be attractive enough for people to give up their cars and allow for ROI within 10 years as maintenance cost will eat any foreseeable profits after that.
LPG is a tried, tested economical technology for public transport the world over. People think just because we have sun all year round that EV is the way to go however they forget what all our power is generated from and about the elephant in the room that controls and generates it.
Finally, our humid climate and salt saturated air play havoc with EV systems essentially making them less resilient and reliable than combustion engines. Maintenance capability and cost will be another killer.
OP here. I kind of disagree but mostly agree with your statement. I would note that EV vehicles can be extremely good. There are risks however in owning them. they require many more computer parts as well that are difficult to repair due to supply issues. EV vehicle parts are on backorder and it could be a long wait to get a needed part that has nothing to do with the batteries. the cost of those parts are also very expensive. Cayman needs to look long term with this investment and when battery technology improves, they can slowly then phase out the LPG busses. I don’t believe that we currently have the infrastructure to properly maintain these full electric EV’s.
To me personally I think the most important things are:
1. Routes – There needs to be a stop less than a 10 minute walk from my front door, and equally close to job centers, schools and entertainment.
2. Frequency – The bus needs to come by every 5-10 minutes.
3. Speed – Bus lanes on all roads that have more than two lanes (nobody is going to choose to drive less or sell their car if the bus cannot fly past rush hour traffic).
4. Paying by contactless debit card – Speeds up payment, don’t need to have the right change (especially since most ATMs don’t give small amounts), gives you the ability to spontaneously decided to catch the bus.
5. Live schedule tracker on phone – Gives you confidence that the bus is actually going to come. Although not essential ONLY IF the frequency is high enough.
10 mins?! You’d walk 10 mins to a bus stop in 90 degree heat? The conventional wisdom is the average person won’t walk more than 200 yards even in cooler weather.
This proposal is a huge white elephant.
This report will merely get tossed onto the pile of other expensive dust collecting plans and reports on Wayne Panton’s desk, never to be read, considered or enacted upon in any meaningful way until at least 2049.
I think a quick win is an Express Bus (with wifi) from Country Side shopping centre direct to Camana Bay. No stops. Build a new park and ride lot next to there.
I agree a complete overhaul is necessary but this is one quick win that could be implemented with a smaller investment. Have 30 person buses run every 15 minutes in the am for an hour as a starting point. And get people used to the idea of hopping on a bus rather than having their own car everywhere they go. Another route could be the same thing from Savannah to Cricket Square.
I choose Savannah because the Deloitte report shows double the number of cars in the morning than West Bay Road.
It may seem like nothing but 100 cars off the road in peak hour is a 13% reduction.
That would at least be a start while the arguing happens about the $50M investment.
If did want to add a West Bay to Camana Bay route, it could start in a new park and ride lot by Ed Bush stadium.
Who knows….maybe some parents would even put their kids on this bus and they can then walk to CIS from Camana Bay.
In the UK, kids take public buses to school. Not private school buses.
Likewise in Switzerland. Kids use public transportation.
What’s with the holes in the damn cheese though?
I would take the bus even though I can afford my own car because then I can get drunk and browse Instagram on my phone.
Some of us can multitask.
And eat wings
How is it that Deloitte gets EVERY single consulting contract?
So $50mio spent over a couple of years to reduce traffic by 20% and improve everyone’s life on the island. Doesn’t sound too bad, except it would likely be $100mio by the end of the project and a few dodgy transactions along the way…
And population will increase by another 20% by then so right back to jammed roads again.
forget the ev nonsense….
EV only if SOLAR. We’re not supporting more fossil fuel usage and topping up the already massive profits of CUC shareholders to achieve this. I can see them rubbing their hands together in glee already. EVs and free solar powered charging stations across the island for public buses and public to use.
Thats right. We want gas/diesel not EV. Because no company is currently making massive profits off of those and rubbing their hands together in glee at your plan to have larger buses using their fuel. – I love how in our hatred of one group making money we overlook someone else’s profit.
it’s not even environmental, when you drive an ev using cuc to charge, the emissions from the energy equal 9 times more than a hybrid.
forget cig….the clowns that banned uber to protect rip-off taxi cartel.
welcome to wonderland
laughable reponse from cig….
i guarantee nothing will be done with this report over the next 5-10 years
Oh joy another “report” from Deloitte that will swiftly be ignored and nothing will actually happen.
current bus service is generally fine.
all it needs is a defined timetable and/or gps monitored app showing you location of buses.
The buss system is fine, it just doesn’t run on time, go where it should or operate in a way that makes it a reliable source of transportation.
Apart from that its great!
Current bus provision is terrible.
I’ve never used it because they’re badly driven, badly maintained, rarely use bus stops, you never know when they’re going to turn up, and sometimes full!
They suck!
Very random, usually run in threes or fours, then a big time gap in between. Lots of busses are simply nasty, a nightmare to anyone who has some cleanliness standards. What does ugly fake fur do in one of them in the front apart from collecting dirt? Just an example.
The entire service is quite awful.