Local firm Deloitte has been awarded a $199,600 contract to work on a public transportation system plan for the Cayman Islands.
Tourism and Transport Minister Kenneth Bryan confirmed that work has begun on the project.
Bryan, speaking on last Wednesday’s episode of the Cayman Compass weekly talkshow ‘The Resh Hour’, said the local auditing firm is tasked with reviewing options that would better enhance the local transport network.
“They have already started work on the review of proposing the best… public transport system… not roads, infrastructure, (Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing) and all that, just the public transport. [T]hey’re expected to finish that review within 16 to 18 weeks,” he said, adding that he anticipates getting the report, which will include “suggestions for government to make a decision on” in the first quarter of 2023.
Earlier this year Bryan, in an interview with the Compass, said that government was looking to team up with his Barbados counterpart to create a national public bus system in a bid to alleviate Cayman’s traffic congestion woes.
Though, at that time he said talks were in the preliminary discussion stage, Bryan has set his sights on a January 2024 start date for a public transport bus network. He also said he was working with Santia Bradshaw, the Barbados minister for transport, works and water resources, to make that happen.
However, Bryan last week said that Deloitte is looking at the options open to Cayman for public transport.
“I know that some stakeholders have probably already heard from their [Deloitte’s] specialists making calls and finding out the routes, how it works, what your expectations are, [and] what the financing models are,” he said.
Bryan added that he wanted to be able to say that professionals have looked at the options for government to choose from, “so I can prepare for the budget for 2024 and to implement”.
The minister had previously said to get the plan up and running, which includes the buses, technology, infrastructure, terminals and other elements, government could be looking at a cost of $20 million to $30 million. The funding for this, he said, could come from the Environmental Protection Fund.
These elements are expected to be covered in the ongoing public transportation review process.
are expected to be covered in the ongoing public transportation review process.
Bryan called that process “pretty straightforward” and said he has full confidence in Taron Jackman and the Deloitte team who are working on the project.
“I look forward to the results because in our preliminary discussions, they asked all the right questions, they did all the analysis as to what the government’s policy is… I was able to drill down in a common man’s term of what the outcome must look like for us to choose from,” Bryan said.
The minister said he was hoping that in the first quarter of next year he can inform the public about what the transportation system will look like moving forward.
“I’m just really excited waiting on that report to come back, to share it,” he added.
At present, Cayman has 10 main routes serviced by public transport buses.
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