Noise abatement legislation.
You may be aware that there has been a campaign by Mr. Carl Moore and others for years, appealing for the passage of legislation to regulate noise in Barbados. I my self have made appeals to the government and even sited the Australian legislation as a possible model.
Only yesterday, during the early hours of the morning, an uncaring motorcyclist with a very loud machine raced along the road linking the the Husbands, Oxnards, West Terrace and Wanstead Terrace developments startling everyone awake. Needless to say, I had difficulty getting back to sleep.
The issue of loud music from the ZR and Mini buses also has been ventilated over and over with out action being taken to outlaw this nuisance.
I am appealing for this new government to take action on instituting and enforcing noise abatement regulations in Barbados.
Submitted by Victor Gittens
Dear all,
I want to play my part in some way in the rebuilding of Barbados. While I don’t have the answers, I have some thoughts on issues I view as problematic. Please let me know if the issues I raise below are meaningful to the new government.
Coast Road on the West Coast – stretching from Esso Blackrock and going all the way down to Speighstown. There are so many hotels along the way. My biggest concern is the VERY loud horns and muffler noises created by the buses along the strip. The hotels along the strip are severely affected as the “Caribbean tranquility” they promise to provide, is drowned out by the constant noise pollution created by our buses. The buses are also noisy with music, although I feel this can add to our culture in some way, the noise pollution from the mufflers as buses stop and start to pick up passengers is HARMFUL. Not only to the tourism product that we are trying to impress, but even more so to our environment and our people. Tourists cannot rest in their rooms without the sound of buses blaring through the windows. Tourists are constantly complaining about the noise pollution. There should be a standard that all buses should adhere to – buses with loud muffler noises should not be allowed on this hotel strip in particular. I understand that it may be too expensive a project to completely revamp the bus system at this time, but can certain buses be removed from the tourist strip at least? What about a park and ride system? Big buses stop by Esso Blackrock and then some other alternative takes you along the strip? Whether that’s a special green bus that doesn’t make noise, or something else.
I am not sure if you’ve looked into this already, but do electric buses create less noise? The city of London in the UK uses electric buses, are we able to somehow borrow some!? They run on green energy. These buses are also fully equipped for travelers with disabilities.
Is there any way we can enlist the help of our colleagues in the United Kingdom to test drive a fleet of some of their old electric buses to see if they would work on our island? I know it seems crazy to ask to borrow some, but every little counts and maybe, with all of the negativity surrounding the UKs treatment of Caribbean people right now they may actually consider it. We have some of the highest debt levels in the world, would it be prudent to ask for help? I don’t know the intricacies of this politically, but just thought I would ask.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/world/china-watch/business/chinese-electric-buses-uk/
Please see the link above with some small details on the electric bus they use. I would be happy to help in any way in any research you may need help with. Please let me know. Tourism is deeply important to the success of our island, and I would be happy to do my part.
Look forward to hearing back from you.
Kind regards,
Chelsey
