Transit Systems: Terminals

  Geography of Transport Systems define terminals as "any location where freight and passengers either originate, terminate, or is handled in the transportation process." Although City Gate was previously mentioned and it is a terminal, in my opinion City Gate is the whole and the following image illustrates the subsets that make up City Gate.

  City Gate is largely stated in reference to PTSC buses, however these structures, rather structure is the terminal for maxi taxis, and is adjoined to and make up City Gate. Attached to this structure are several staircases, each a terminal from Port-of-Spain to a another urban area. On afternoons between 2:30pm and 5:30pm, the platforms of these terminals are packed with people looking to get a seat on a maxi taxi to get home. Pushing and skipping is encountered at those peak hours. 


  Due to the unscheduled arrival and departure of maxi taxis, the notion by Rodrigue et al (2013) that the time passengers spend on terminal are brief is not true of Trinidad as one may spend several minutes to get a maxi taxi. One may say maybe there needs to be a schedule for maxi taxis, but when one is in heels, has on 6 pieces of clothing in the hot weather and tired, waiting for a maxi to arrive would not sit well with Trinidadians, and they would rather shove for a seat to quickly reach home. Alternative public transport therefore need to be looked into to facilitate the timely movement of persons in and out of POS.

Reference

·                     Rodrigue, J., C. Comtois, B. Slack.2013.The geography of transport systems.3rd ed. London and New York: Routledge. http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c1en.html. (accessed February 10, 2014).

Goods are transitted also.... so delivery trucks!

A Kiss Baking Company Delivery truck

  "Cities are dominant centers of production and consumption, urban activities are accompanied by large movements of freight. These movements are mostly characterized by delivery trucks moving between industries, distribution centers, warehouses and retail activities, as well as from major terminals such as ports, railyards, distribution centers and airports. The mobility of freight within cities tends to be overlooked." (Rodrigue et al 2013) When raking my brains to decipher what other forms of transport are available in urban areas post photographing, delivery trucks hit me, and then while preparing my 'City's Gate' post, I realized that there happened to be a delivery truck in front of it (yellow truck to the right). I agree with Rodrigue et al (2013) in the last statement, because when I first thought of transport, I immediately thought about people commuting, 'overlooking' as he said, the actuality that not only humans are transported in and around urban centres, but also the goods which they consume.
  The downtown business district (CBD) of Port-of-Spain (POS) is dependent on delivery trucks, like the Kiss baking company truck, to bring to businesses commodities that are consumed. The Kiss factory is located in Chaguanas, which is located in central Trinidad, and so the items transit via delivery trucks to all corners of the country.  A lot of retailing occurs in downtown POS, and many businesses in the CBD have warehouses located in peripheral areas, hence the mode via which these businesses receive their goods are imperative to the economics of downtown POS.
  However a concern is that it is hazardous to have these freights, particularly containers, traversing on the same roadways as humans. Therefore it is in my opinion that Trinidad's government rather than build highways for more cars to go nowhere on, should build separate transport networks for freights and heavily transported cargo. This reduces possible fatal accidents and may also be a way to reduce congestion on roadways.

Reference

·                     Rodrigue, J., C. Comtois, B. Slack.2013.The geography of transport systems.3rd ed. London and New York: Routledge. http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c1en.html. (accessed February 10, 2014).

  

Transit Mode: Water Taxis

Image of Trinidad Water Taxi

  There were 4 water taxis, presently reduced to 2, which make a combination of 14 trips on a weekday, between San Fernando and Port-of-Spain. (James, 2014) Based on the schedule which can be viewed here: http://www.tntisland.com/watertaxis.html and the fact that water traffic does not exist, this mode of transport is fast and effective. Due to land traffic congestion, water taxis are a mechanism by which traffic can be lessened on roadways. Additionally air pollution and greenhouse emissions would be reduced thereby making the urban atmosphere healthier. The water taxis also have the ability to transport more persons per trip than any other transport mode in the country. Rodrigue et al (2013) says that commuting takes approximately 1 to 1.5 hours, however water taxi travel takes much less time.

  However despite all its good, in an article on the water taxi (Guardian, July 14, 2013), Radhica Sookraj revealed that the government is spending TT$41 million on the water taxi annually but at a loss, and that the service may be phased out if it doesn't become profitable. Another article which pleas for the realization of the potential of the water taxi argues that the government is not trying to development ways to preserve the service, but rather is opting to shut it down. (Guardian 2013) The article also highlights that the the vessels have the potential to greatly reduce traffic on the south to north routes and can additionally assist the east-west traffic issue if services are made available in Diego Martin. 

  Another strong point  made is that the vessels should not be viewed based on their monetary value but upon it's greater productivity and long term environmental advantages, and I concur. Government and citizens need to realize the potential of the water taxi.

Reference    

• James, Roger. 2014. Trinidad and Tobago Water Taxis. http://www.tntisland.com/watertaxis.html (accessed April 8, 2014).
• Rodrigue, J., C. Comtois, B. Slack.2013.The geography of transport systems.3rd ed. London and New York: Routledge. http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c1en.html. (accessed February 10, 2014).
• 2013. Realize the potential of the water taxi service. Guardian, January 18. http://guardian.co.tt/news/2013-01-17/realise-potential-water-taxi-service (accessed April 11, 2014).

Transit Modes: ELDAMO

An Elderly and Differently-able shuttle

  Although I see many elderly persons on regular buses and usually see ELDAMO shuttles empty while operating routes, there exists a special transport mode for members of this group. These buses are also equipped for persons using wheelchairs.
  Geography of Transport Systems speaks about mobility equity issues. However I believe that the ELDAMO bus service is a testimony to equity when it comes to mobility in Trinidad. The only issue is that when these persons get into urban areas, there is no one to aid them to get  around, although there may be few citizens who would help blind or elderly persons cross streets and assist in any way. In my opinion it is a service which needs further development.Also I always thought that these buses worked on a schedule like regular PTSC buses, however upon researching it, I was informed that they operate on-call 24 hrs and is additionally free. (Express 2012) As such it is theorized that due to the lack of awareness of the service it is under-utilized.

Reference

2012. People Ministry: PTSC must move with the time. Express, December 11.http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/People_Ministry__PTSC_must_move_with_times-182917891.html?m=y&smobile=y (accessed April 11, 2014).

   Rodrigue, J., C. Comtois, B. Slack.2013.The geography of transport systems.3rd ed. London and New York: Routledge. http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c1en.html. (accessed February 10, 2014).

Transit Modes: Taxis

While going to Primary school, on evenings after school I would have to travel home with my aunt 2/5 days in the week, and I hated it. The mode of transport we used back then, as the bus was not operating where I lived at the time were taxis. In Trinidad, taxis are not generic yellow and black vehicles, but rather vehicles that would usually be associated with personal vehicles in North American countries. Although they are personal vehicles which one buys, it is a vehicle licensed for hire.

For Hire vehicles lined on Broadway, Port-of-Spain 

  According to Vuchin (1981) these taxis are a form of paratransit transportation. The drivers or operators seen around the cars are calling for passengers going Chaguanas or San Fernando. Although previously stated in another post that there are maxi taxis to go these areas, the benefit of taxis are that if one lives far from the general transport route or from a hub, taxis facilitate drop offs closer to where one resides. These for hire taxis provide another mode of transport which link persons to different urban areas. On the words of Rodrigue et al (2013) modal split, referring to the transportation mode used for urban trips, are dependent on preference, availability, travel time, technology and income. In reference to technology, some taxis may not have air condition and would cause a commuter to take a green band maxi instead and vice versa. Also to some persons, taxi fares may be too expensive for them to pay due to their income and, opt to use a greed band maxi which is more affordable. 

Reference

·                     Rodrigue, J., C. Comtois, B. Slack.2013.The geography of transport systems.3rd ed. London and New York: Routledge. http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c1en.html. (accessed February 10, 2014).

·                     Vuchic, V. R.1981. Urban public transport: systems and technology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/assets/Uploads/20020114urbanpubtrsysVuchic.pdf (accessed April 10, 2014)

Transit Modes: Maxi Taxis

Image showing Red band maxi taxis

   Since I started commuting (in Trinidad and Tobago we say traveling) to school, maxi taxis, specifically red band maxis is the mode that I use. Just like bus rides, I also enjoy maxi rides, except for when I have to sit in the aisle seat, sandwiched between two other persons.
  These vehicles, like the bus, traverse the Priority Bus Route. They are one of the forms of paratransit transportation, transport provided by operators, and available to parties which hire them (Vuchin 1981), in Trinidad.  Just as there are buses for different areas in the country, there are different coloured maxis for the different regions or routes.




  The following is the breakdown of the different maxis and their routes:

Maxi Taxis	Route
Red Band/ Route 2 Maxi Taxis	Port-of-Spain to Sangre Grande
Yellow Band/ Route 1 Maxi Taxis	Port-of-Spain to Chaguaramas
Green Band Maxi Taxis	Port-of-Spain, Curepe to San Fernando
Black Band Maxi Taxis	San Fernando to Mayaro
Brown Band Maxi Taxis	San Fernando to Point Fortin, Siparia and Cedros

 The first two maxi taxis carry out transport in the urban area of Port-of-Spain, which by now would be the obvious urban area that the blog mainly focuses on. Therefore persons living in southern areas of the country, such as San Fernando and Point Fortin, and who work in Port of Spain, must take 2 to 3 of these maxi taxis to get to their work destinations. However efficient transport networks link the the different areas to Port-of-Spain making generally timely commute possible. Rodrigue et al (2013) state that 3 to 4 trips per day is undertaken, and that each trip generated signifies a purpose satisfied. However I beg to differ as I believe that in Trinidad, on a weekday, specifically someone working, several trips are made, but to satisfy one purpose, to get to work. It is in the opinion that the different maxi taxis and their respective routes, minimizes the amount of vehicles which would have to enter urban areas such as Port or Spain, but still ensuring that sufficient commuters are transported.

Yellow band maxi in the hub.

  Rodrigue et al (2013) indicate in their book a taxonomy for mobility, where it is stated that urban movement is either obligatory (pendulum and professional movement fall under this category) or voluntary, which is characteristic of personal movement or leisure. Maxi Taxis facilitate these urban movements and are available for and in all urban areas in Trinidad.

Reference

• Rodrigue, J., C. Comtois, B. Slack.2013.The geography of transport systems.3rd ed. London and New York: Routledge. http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c1en.html. (accessed February 10, 2014).
• Tourism Development Company. 2014. Travel information: getting around. http://www.gotrinidadandtobago.com/travel-information/getting-around/ (accessed April 11, 2014).
• Vuchic, V. R.1981. Urban public transport: systems and technology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/assets/Uploads/20020114urbanpubtrsysVuchic.pdf (accessed April 10, 2014)

Transit Modes: PTSC Buses

  Image to the left showing a single bus and the one to the right, buses inside the terminal garage.

I remember a friend telling me that they hate PTSC buses, however I had never traveled on one then. However while going for driving lessons in Port-of-Spain last year I became fond of the drive. I admired most the socialization taking place in the bus; old folks chatting with one another and the sharing of wisdom with younger persons occasionally. This would warm my heart. However the bus which I traveled on was for my area, a small village, where older persons knew one another, and younger ones were just familiar with faces. I traveled on a bus to San Fernando once and the atmosphere was the total opposite, however the comfort of the bus sort of made up for that.

  PTSC buses are modes of mass transport. Vuchin (1981) states that mass transit is characterized by fixed routes and schedules, and this is exactly how PTSC buses operate. Nonetheless mechanical draw-backs and road conditions may setback the regular schedules based on my experience. Although writing from the perspective of the 19th century, Vuchin (1981) also points out that quality of street transit services, which buses fall under, particularly its speed and reliability, is dependent on traffic conditions. With reference to the bus that operates from Port-of-Spain to my area, it takes the Priority Bus Route to San Juan, where it may off load or collect passengers, then it takes the Saddle Road to my area, and along the route are several stops. Additionally this bus runs 8 times a day, once there are no disruptions between the hours of 4:30am to 6:30pm. These features which are similar but varied in different parts of the country, fit in with the previously stated principles of mass transit mode, buses.

  According to Vuchin (1981) buses are the most economical transit modes for lightly traveled lines. Referring again to the bus I frequent, for me to get from where I live to Port-of-Spain would require me to take two forms of transport and spend approximately $8, whereas if I took the bus, I get a straight ride to Port-of-Spain and pay half the price. Also another great thing about the bus service in Trinidad, is that school children in uniform from all corners of the country can ride the bus for free, so too can the elderly.

  Traffic congestion is a major issue in downtown Port-of-Spain and as such to lessen this problem, government has been debating the implementation of a 'Park and Ride' initiative which would utilize PTSC buses from peripheral areas into the downtown area or CBD. This would reduce traffic downtown and allow the business district to be pedestrian friendly as well.(Guardian 2014)

  Although bus services are efficient, reduces traffic and are environmentally friendly, a stigma exists, which is connected with the perception that persons who use public transport belong to the lower rung of society.(Rodrigue et al 2013) This stigma and the economic success symbolized by personal mobility according to Rodgrigue et al (2013), could very well be the reason for the continued and climbing imports of personal vehicles visible on the port and consequently congestion on the nation's roadways.

Reference

• 2014. Permanent park and ride would boost business. Guardian, February 9.https://www.guardian.co.tt/business/2014-02-09/%E2%80%98permanent-park-and-ride-will-boost-business%E2%80%99 (accessed April 11, 2014).
• Rodrigue, J., C. Comtois, B. Slack.2013.The geography of transport systems.3rd ed. London and New York: Routledge. http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c1en.html. (accessed February 10, 2014).
• Vuchic, V. R.1981. Urban public transport: systems and technology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/assets/Uploads/20020114urbanpubtrsysVuchic.pdf (accessed April 10, 2014)

  

Transit Systems: Wrightson Road

Image of Wrightson Road

  Another major roadway is Wrightson Road, which is the western end of another major transit line running the east-west corridor. After the lighthouse in Port-of-Spain (POS), it is know as the Beetham highway then after the Uriah Butler intersection, it is known as the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, which continues into the east. Wrightson Road as such, also facilitates, like the Priority Bus Route, a high concentration of vehicles, cars, buses and freight as it is an additional means, especially for private and hired transport. Based on theories in Vukan's Urban Public Transport, Wrightson Road would fall under the ategory ROW-C, public streets and general traffic. 

  Urban transport infrastructure such as roads and transit systems, and their capacity and requirements have shaped the expansion of demography and mobility. Hence the relationship between urban transport systems and the variations in urban form and structure. (Rodrigue et al 2013) Based on the theories put forward by Rodrigue et al (2013), it is understood that the Wrightson Road facilitates the clustered form of Port-of-Spain  as it links downtown POS to the decentralized suburban economic nodes such as Woodbrook and St.Clair. The following link: http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/nodeslinkages.html illustrates a diagram of nodes, links and urban form which suits the clustered form of POS previously pointed out. However there is a deviation pertaining to the links seen in this diagram as the road networks in POS take on a grid pattern, unlike that shown. Here is a link to accurately show what the transport network looks like: https://maps.google.tt/maps?q=port+of+spain+trinidad&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x8c360812949e7641:0x96eca5e86b177c3a,Port+of+Spain&gl=tt&ei=2FtHU__tOcu80AG-s4GQAg&ved=0CLABELYD. According to Rodrigue et al (2013) grid patterns have not changed in contemporary cities from that used in 1st century Roman cities, due to its optimization of accessibility and available real estate.
 The reason why I chose to convey Wrightson Road in this post was due to it's importance to suburban economic areas. These areas seat an important sector of Port-of-Spain, and to a wider extent the country, therefore facilitators such as the transport network to the area holds just as must importance as the activities adjacent to them.

Reference

• Rodrigue, J., C. Comtois, B. Slack.2013.The geography of transport systems.3rd ed. London and New York: Routledge. http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c1en.html. (accessed February 10, 2014).
• Vuchic, V. R.1981. Urban public transport: systems and technology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/assets/Uploads/20020114urbanpubtrsysVuchic.pdf (accessed April 10, 2014)

Transit Systems: The PBR

  The following photos represent the Priority Bus Route (PBR), which runs along the east-west corridor of Trinidad (Port-of-Spain to Arima). The PBR is used to facilitate mass transit vehicles such as buses and maxi taxis, and additionally emergencies. In the photograph captioned 'PBR signage', the indication of 'Authorized Vehicles Only', is a traffic scheme to ensure minimal congestion, which maintains the rapid flow of authorized vehicles across the east-west corridor. I chose to highlight the Priority Bus Route due to a comment made by a colleague from Barbados who said that Trinidad has the best transport system in the region and he specifically identified the PBR. Also due to the fact that I traverse this route every morning to school and when I need to go into Port of Spain. It's efficiency in transportation has won it a space on this blog.

Vehicles on the PBR 

PBR signage

  According to Vukan Vuchic, authority in urban transportation, transit modes are characterized by their right-of-way (ROW) category, technology and types of operation. The Priority Bus Route may fall under the category C, urban streets with mixed traffic. He explains that ROW-C includes mostly buses, but also trolley buses and tramways/street cars. The PBR fits this category as buses make up a portion of the vehicles that traverse the route. Maxi-taxis are another form of mass transit that use the PBR, and can be described as a minibus. However category B may also be applied, as Vuchic states that this represents transit ways that are partially separated from other traffic, specifically bus lanes from other traffic, although defined bus lanes do not exist in the country. The distinguishing feature between the PBR and other highways and roads, is that buses have the authority to utilize the latter two, however regular vehicles have to apply for authorization to use the PBR, although subjective to approval. With respect to maxi taxis, the smaller holding capacity version of the vehicle (those licensed for maximun 13 passengers apart from the 25 passenger) can be seen on both the PBR and other roadways.

  The PBR is in use all day, with the peak hours or maximum number of vehicles per hour entering/passing key locations such as City Gate, Curepe and Arima, occuring between 6 am to 9am and 2:30pm to 6pm on week-days. This would be due to working and school commencing and ending hours falling into the respective time brackets.

  In the article, "Government moves for Greener Priority Bus Route", (Guardian, August 25, 2011) it is stated that the transportation sector, among others, was a contributor to the greenhouse gas emissions in Trinidad and Tobago between 1990-2006. There had been a 278% increase between that period. The government proposed a plan to reduce transport emissions. The vision for this 'greener' route is CNG, electric or hybrid powered vehicles using the PBR, and solar powered street lights and traffic lights on the bus route.

Reference

Vuchic, V. R.1981. Urban public transport: systems and technology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. http://www.reconnectingamerica.org/assets/Uploads/20020114urbanpubtrsysVuchic.pdf (accessed April 10, 2014).