$200k transport report remains under wraps
(CNS): It is not clear whether or not the $200,000 public transport report that was undertaken by private sector consultants has been approved by Cabinet yet as the minister responsible for transport, when asked about it in parliament on Wednesday, failed to tell MPs when it would be released to the public. Answering questions from Deputy Leader of the Opposition Joey Hew, Planning Minister Jay Ebanks told him to “stay tuned” but gave no real information about the status of the report or what government was doing as a result of it.
While it appears that another year will pass without any steps taken to introduce a modern, reliable public transport network to tackle traffic congestion, Ebanks indicated that some money would be allocated in the forthcoming 2024/25 budget towards this. However, he did not say what the money was for or why it is taking so long for the government to unveil the costly report, which was compiled by Deloitte.
Premier Wayne Panton has said on a number of occasions that he wants to roll out an electric bus network to reduce traffic and tackle Cayman’s disproportionately large greenhouse gas emissions.
But Ebanks, who took over responsibility for transport in the Cabinet reshuffle in March, said nothing about what plans his ministry has for the future of public transport. Answering the parliamentary question, he said the report would be published shortly, and that Cabinet had fully gone through the report and understood it before its release.
Hew pointed out that the report had been expected at the beginning of this year, and nothing had yet been done to address public transport. In response, Ebanks said the government was taking the issue seriously and was “steadfast in our commitment” to meet and exceed public expectations in finding solutions to the transport system.
“We are looking forward to putting some funding in the new budget coming up to be able to tackle this transportation system,” he said, adding that he understood the importance of fixing this problem.
See Wednesday morning’s session of parliament on CIGTV below:
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Category: Politics
You h e to love the idea that simply because Cabinet hasn’t approved a report, paid for with tax payers money, it can be hidden indefinitely from the public that aid for it and the opposition whose job it is to hold government to account.
It’s all well and good doing what other countries have done, but look at the size of the towns and villages on Grand Cayman. Do you think a scheduled service to Northside and East End is viable given population numbers, and profitable?
Large buses are not the answer and would travel almost empty. Mini buses are perfect as long as they stick to schedules whilst full or empty of passengers.
Whatever happened to the bus used for the “shuttle” service from the cricket ground to downtown?
Is public transport ever profitable?
This can safely be said because no major public transit system in America makes money. Transportation experts can’t name a single major transit system that is a moneymaker in this country. “It’s not a profit-making industry,” said Mantill Williams, spokesman for the American Public Transportation Association.
A new public transport system will require three main ingredients:
1. Competent bus drivers
Drivers need be fully trained or re-trained.
2. Buses
Right hand drive and new. Whether they should be electronic is a big issue.
3. Bus stops
This is the biggest issue. In their forward planning successive Governments forgot to make provision for them.
How about some sidewalks as well especially on North Church Street.
joey who?…the guy who said (correctly) that building more roads was not the answer.
guess what all joey did when he was in charge….yep, build more roads.
welcome to wonderland
joey who?…oh yeah, the guy who banned uber to protect the rip-off taxi cartel…..next!
The issues of Cayman’s infrastructure have arisen after years of corruption and cronyism among politicians and the civil service, who have awarded contracts and budgets to their unqualified family members and friends for projects that have been left incomplete or unfit for purpose. There has been little oversight or accountability from auditors or the Mickey Mouse anti-corruption unit, resulting in substandard roads, an increasingly growing Mount Trashmore, skyrocketing crime rates, and inadequate public services, despite the CIG bill soaring.
Agree with everything you’ve said with the exception of the standard of roads which are in reality excellent by any global standard. It’s not the road’s fault we seem to give driving licenses to people who quite obviously can’t drive safely at any speed.
🇧🇲Bermuda 53.2 km2 (20.5 sq mi), population about 65K
🇰🇾Cayman 196 km2 (76 sq mi), population is about the same as Bermuda.
THE MAIN DIFFERENCE❓
🇧🇲BERMUDA HAS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION‼️
Also check the Channel Islands – Jersey – 45 sq miles, population 110k, world class public transportation, a truly fantastic public bus service and school bus service!
It’s not rocket science – simply look where best practice is happening in other similar jurisdictions and emulate!
Add Singapore to the list of island nations managing traffic well as a high density jurisdiction.
Here is the challenge for Cayman and Public Transportation (it is ever endorsed and developed here); it will be adoption.
I predict it will take a couple of generations before enough people will adopt it to make a noticeable difference.
Why?
Because the motor vehicle is engrained as part of too many peoples identities and egos of the residents (Caymanian and Expats alike). Of course some from overseas will adopt quickly because they may have had public transportation at other times in their life. But many will not. Change is hard. Change to one’s perceived identity is even harder.
I expect the population to tick over 100,000 before there is any real Public Transportation solution(s) (road building/expansion does not count).
Gridlock continues.
I don’t see my life without driving my own car. Yet, when I lived in Bermuda, I had no choice but take a public bus to/from work, shopping, a beach, etc. Buses were running on time, almost to a minute, were clean, air conditioned and a monthly pass was affordable. Riding a scooter was out of question for me-majority of accident and deaths on Bermuda roads are caused by scooters. Besides if it rains it pours in Bermuda. And it rains daily.
….that Cabinet had gone through the Report and understood it before its release.”
Really Minister Jay? Lol!
That all Cabinet members have “gone through” the Report is a stretch. “Understood it”…yeah right!
By gone-through, they mean flicked through it whilst sat on the can.
In other words – “We looking forward to arranging a meeting in order to set up a committee who will put together a task force who will report back to cabinet in order to schedule another meeting where possible solutions to finding time for another meeting would be discussed. Following this, cabinet will apply their minds towards how best to appear busy and efficient whilst actually doing nothing and deferring any substantive action until next decade – as usual”.
Just Another Day in Absurdistan
We paid for it, we suffer from the problems, let us see the damn document, its definitely in the public interest.
free money making solutions:
Sell goab and build new goab east of frank sound.
or
bring in car-pool lanes and congestion charge for single occupancy vehicles that come through hurleys roundabout morning or evening peak times.
As if RCIPS will enforce car pool lanes and single occupancy vehicles, LMAO
idf they can’t do it..bring in private firm who will.
Another day passes and PACT has yet to accomplish anything.
When Big Jay joins the PPM along with Joey Who after the elections they will have two egotistical idiots fighting for the spotlight and the developers attentions and affections. Big Jay will remain the planning minister and Joey Who will finally satisfy his handlers ambitions by replacing KB as minister of tourism. Shocking to see the similarities between these two slick talkers that could never get real jobs in the private sector given their limitations.
Inevitable given the calibre of Caymanian politicians:
1. Expats can’t engage in politics: even if they have status, they can’t stand for election. If they don’t have status, they can’t risk annoying people and losing their work permit.
2. No capable, hardworking and intelligent Caymanian would sensibly enter politics here because that would cripple their life chances. Being trapped in any location is a risk, particularly a tiny one like Cayman. Anyone sensible will therefore pursue a profession which gives them global opportunities, e.g. IT or accountancy. By such choices, the top e.g. 50% of Caymanians self-select out of politics.
3. This is why Caymanian politicians are so uniquely awful (specifically: definitely incompetent, probably corrupt, often criminal). They have effectively excluded anyone decent from power. This then exacerbates the problem identified at (2): capable, hardworking and intelligent Caymanians see the direction of travel, and are determined to keep their options open, focusing on global skills not local politics.
4. Cayman is presently incapable of self-government. Expats should be allow to both vote and stand for election. Four examples of incompetence/corruption demonstrating this fact: https://caymannewsservice.com/2023/03/premier-admits-widening-of-caymans-economic-success-gap/comment-page-1/#comment-587383
Amen
All generational Caymanians have left is voting and eligibility to hold office the real political power.
There are clear rules to be followed regarding eligibility.
If you do not like these rules go back to your country of origin and run for public office if the need to fix things are so great as a Realist.
Most new Caymanians and PR recipients despise us and do not respect born Caymanians we know how you think and what you say about Caymanians.
The rules are clear. Your children may one day qualify until then we cannot afford to allow disingenuous arrogant carpet baggers who think they are better than us to hold all the economic power and political power especially when Real Caymanians are becoming a minority.
There are too many people on Grand Cayman. Problem identified.
not really. too many people travelling to the same part of the island everyday.
Bermuda is smaller and has more people. THEY HAVE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION!!!!!!
Is this the same guy as above? Seems to really love Bermuda.
I think he should go back. Why’d he leave though?
3:46, I love Bermudan transportation infrastructure too. Great bus system and superb world class airport.
Every Caymanian responsible for transportation policy decisions should be sent there to learn.
We can learn as Caymanians from others.
shambolic…..
just another day in wonderland.
did-nothing-joey Vs no-plan-jay…..zzzzz
Cayman is doomed.
Stalling for time, they are as usual scared of the truth and worse having to act on it. The transport conundrum is shaping up to be analogous to the dump, ignore the problem for decades then be prepared to spend millions on a solution. I would not be in the least bit surprised that the report ends up in the dump.
If it’s that top secret, one assumes it must involve a Tardis or two.
#worldclassmyass!
😂 😂 😂 😂
The MLS’s know they are never held accountable all Caymanians do is complain on the radio and CNS. All talk and no action so we will have to take what we get.
Get an education kids these 2 are proof how things are in modern day Cayman. Very scary
Punctuation?
Given their time in office as Planning Ministers by their actions or lack thereof to date neither politician appears to be willing to make this issue a top priority for either Hew or his successor J Ebanks. Looks like they are the same with the same puppet masters pulling all the strings.
The T is for what Wayne?
Joey and Jay are prime examples why a formal education and qualifications like college degrees are important if you want to be in a leadership role.
Not necessarily, some people just have the nack where as the ministers involved are just WAC!
There’s also an expression: educated beyond intelligence
Might make you more knowledgeable, but certainly not a leader or smarter.
The latest example of pantomime in cayman politics is Joey Hew having the inside information about the report vs Jay Ebanks who refuses to indulge him and flips him off with a dismissive tone and “watch this space” response.
This would be cute if citizens and residents did not lose at least four hours a day stuck in traffic because the PPM and PACT refuse to address the gridlock with viable solutions both sides claim to care yet have failed to acknowledge that none of these problems are new by providing any relief.
Where one can see the 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣4️⃣Road Safety Assessment Report?
I think some oversea company was hired to conduct the assessment and the report was promised upon completion of the assessment. If my memory serves me right they were from Jamaica.
2014
NRA launches new road safety initiative. Safety assessment teams are hitting the highways and byways of the Cayman Islands to give star ratings on the state of local roads.
REPORT REMAINS UNDER WRAPS
2018
NRA to host Cayman’s first road safety week,1 October.
Billed as Road Safety Week, the conference will include local and international speakers.
https://caymannewsservice.com/2018/09/nra-to-host-caymans-first-road-safety-week/
https://www.irf.global/cayman-island-puts-road-safety-into-focus-with-irf/
2019
NRA plans 2nd road safety conference
Among local and international speakers, the key note speaker for the four day event will be Michael Dreznes from the International Road Federation (IRF), a non-profit that assists countries to create better, safer and smarter road systems. The agenda includes discussions on Cayman’s new road safety strategy and presentations by local agencies, covering emergency services, enforcement and education on road safety.
https://caymannewsservice.com/2019/10/2nd-road-safety-conference/
You skipped the 2015 NRA Road Plan
Yet another example of CIG and the Civil Servoce failing miserably iim the transparency department! Spending a whopping $200,000 on a report that’s destined to be locked away in a top-secret vault, never to see the light of day.
Who needs valuable insights and public knowledge when we can have a shiny, expensive paperweight instead? I mean, who wouldn’t want to spend a small fortune on a report that only a select few get to enjoy? It’s like buying a golden ticket to the world’s most exclusive non-disclosure party. How generous of our esteemed leaders to shower us with such extravagant displays of secrecy. Truly, money well spent… or not spent, since apparently, we can’t even get a glimpse of what we paid for. Cheers to the illusion of transparency!
Stay tuned? These clowns really are getting to be a real pain in the behind:
Bryant putting up billboards for immigration reform
Seymour has no idea on anything but will soon let us know
O’Connor has a lot on her plate while the school system is turning into a fight zone and the new buildings are in disrepair. Then she is in charge of the beach replenishment? Good luck on anything happening.
Ebanks holding the reports so no one can see them and he can’t answer what is going on.
Panton is busy planting trees.
We certainly are getting great value for our tax dollars.
Agree with you, but “our tax dollars” does not apply here. Peut-etre “our import duty dollars”?
Indrect taxation of many kinds – import duty, work permit fees, stamp duty etc, etc. All indirect ‘tax’.
This is Franz Manderson’s vision of a world class civil service
I think he has gone blind!
Lipstick on a pig …
Anyone else ever listen to Jay Ebanks and ask themselves, WTF did I just experience? Totally outside his league to answer a question, much less try and debate. Only proves to me that lack of education can be easily identified.
Snagglepuss talks better than he does.
How much do bike lanes cost? Paint? Some armadillos? Get it done.
Forget bikes. If it doesn’t have a bumper, it’s not safe for the road.
This is not Netherlands, this is Cayman. Bikers are invisible for Cayman drivers.
Under wraps or published online doesn’t matter with CIG reports since the sponsoring client can’t or won’t read, and/or doesn’t care because they have a better idea: their’s. It’s much more expensive, and will have to be redone three times!
All about the quid pro quo…
That’s all true except in reality we, the public ARE the sponsoring client, and we want to see it.