Government considering setting up a Department of Transportation

Cabinet has greenlit the commissioning of a business case to look into potentially amalgamating three transport-related agencies into a single Department of Transportation, to be charged with managing local transport issues.

“The review will take a critical view of the National Roads Authority, the Department of Vehicle and Driver’s Licensing, and the Public Transport Unit, all of which have a part to play in transportation in the Cayman Islands,” a Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure statement noted on 7 Nov.

The ministry, which will be executing the business case, announced the approval of the review, saying it will be done with the view of potentially creating the Department of Transportation.

The budget for the business case and the planned expenditure for the revamp of the public transport system was not released.

Calling the proposed amalgamation “monumental,” the ministry said it mirrors best practices from the UK, “paving the way for an integrated entity dedicated to organizing, designing, and maintaining all transportation facets in the Cayman Islands”.

Infrastructure Minister Jay Ebanks, speaking on the planned transportation reform, said, “This is the first step in more than a structural change; it’s a commitment to our community.”

He said by analysing the work of the National Roads Authority, the Department of Vehicle and Driver’s Licensing, and the Public Transport Unit collectively, the ministry is “laying down the tracks for a transportation system that is safer, more reliable, and ready to meet the demands of our growing population”.

The future of Cayman’s transport, he said, is “now on a path to world-class standards”.

As part of the announcement of incoming transportation changes, the ministry also made public the $200,000 Deloitte report that was commissioned to look at Cayman’s public transport system and provide recommended changes.

The ministry said, using insights from the report, it will make “informed, data-driven decisions that will underpin the future transportation blueprint” for the Cayman Islands.

The ministry statement said the next six months “will be a period of ambitious projects and strategic developments” aimed at delivering a transportation system that meets the community’s current and future needs.

“This effort is complemented by the valuable input of a dedicated Transportation Team, comprising experts from the UK’s Department for Transport, who are instrumental in formulating strategies to revamp public transportation into a more accessible and efficient one,” the statement noted.

Aa part of the reform of local transport the Ministry also said it will be launching its National Road Safety Strategy this week.

“This Cabinet-approved national strategy will be integral to our vision of creating safer roads and reducing the incidence of traffic accidents and injuries across the islands,” the statement added.

The integration, it said, has been developed since transportation was added to the ministry’s portfolio in April 2023.

Previously, the transport and tourism ministries were under one portfolio.

The statement also pointed to financial reform of the National Roads Authority, which is principally funded by the Road Fund. That fund is sourced from fuel import duties and driver’s licence fees.

“This financial reform supports a high-quality transport infrastructure while maintaining a budget surplus for governmental fiscal health,” the statement said.

The ministry said it is committed to constructing “a modern, efficient, and sustainable transport network, anticipating and facilitating the needs of a rapidly growing population, of which projections could reach 100,000 residents”.

However, as the ministry celebrated the transportation reform, Opposition leader Joey Hew questioned the scope of the report.

“I was rather disappointed when I learnt that the scope only covered the utilisation of buses. Our goal was to commission a mass public transit study that will guide the choices for a mass transportation system in the years ahead,” Hew told the Compass.

He said Cayman has to take a holistic approach to deal with the traffic situation.

“Our solutions would have included alternative forms of transportation as a part of a comprehensive transportation system. The goal was to find the short-, medium-, and long-term strategy to accommodate the movement of people in a safe and comfortable environment,” Hew said.

He noted that some of these solutions may be “cost prohibitive,”; however, he said Cayman has “to consider all options to serve us going forward”.