PSV licensing backlog cleared

Chief Licensing Officer Treca McCarthy-Broomes has declared that the licensing and inspection backlog affecting public service vehicles (PSVs) has now been resolved, with more than 400 certificates already issued and additional approvals due to processed in the coming days.

However, PSV operators say the weekslong delays – some lasting up to eight weeks – have left the sector grappling with heavy financial losses and service disruptions that will take time to recover from.

Speaking during a joint press conference at the conference room of the office of the Chief Licensing Officer, McCarthy-Broomes confirmed that the new digital licensing system, which initially caused major bottlenecks due to technical issues and staff training challenges, is now functioning smoothly.

“We had some issues initially with the new system, especially with training . . . but with patience and understanding we came to a resolution,” she said.

“PSV operators are now receiving their inspection certificates at a much faster pace so they can be on the road for this Christmas season. Over 400 certificates have already been processed, and more are on the way.”

While she did not provide a full breakdown of the backlog, McCarthy-Broomes gave the assurance that improvements will continue over the coming days and noted that new vehicle registrations were currently being completed “in five minutes or less.”

She said the remaining delays largely related to incomplete transfer documents and commercial vehicles transitioning from the old “legacy receipt” system.

Chairman of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport, Roy Raphael, who also addressed the media, welcomed the resolution but said that the sector endured severe hardship during the extended disruptions.

“Some operators were impacted for up to eight weeks,” he said. “My own vehicle wasn’t able to work, and I employ one or two people on that vehicle. The impact on public transport is significant.”

Raphael said the financial strain on PSV owners was profound, even though the association has not yet conducted a formal loss assessment.

“I earn about $300 a day, and if you multiply that by a month, you would know the losses to me as an individual,” he said.

“What I can say is the impact was very significant because you still have insurance, fuel and other bills to pay while your vehicle sits.”

He noted that the licensing delays worsened an already fragile public transport system, with commuters reporting waits of up to two-and-ahalf hours during peak evening periods.

“Some operators could be off the road by six o’clock because of the crime situation,” he said. “That has created challenges for passengers who rely on these vehicles at that time.”

Raphael also revealed that rising safety concerns have pushed PSV and taxi operators to significantly adjust their operations.

“Even our own taxi operators do not pick up persons on the roadside,” he said. “We encourage the public to use the taxi app or personal taxi. Picking up someone on the side of the road puts lives at risk.”

He announced that the AOPT will roll out its own taxi app in the coming months.

Both Raphael and McCarthy-Broomes agreed that the planned approval of private garages to conduct inspections would help prevent similar backlogs.

“Opening additional garages will help tremendously,” Raphael said, noting that operators often spend entire days waiting for inspections under the current system.

He added that although the backlog has been cleared, operators were still recovering from weeks of lost income and disrupted service.

“We couldn’t pay our bills and commuters suffered too,” he said. “But we are happy to see the improvements taking place.” (CLM)

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