SCHOOL CHILDREN in uniform or with student identification will travel free on Transport Board buses as of September.

In addition, if public service vehicles (PSV) do not adhere to the law and traffic regulations, school children will be banned from travelling on them.

Prime Minister David Thompson threw down the gauntlet in introducing his Budgetary Proposals in the House of Assembly yesterday.

"The minibus culture of breaking traffic laws, playing loud, unadulterated, lewd music and liming by school children in the PSV vehicle stands has lowered our traditional values and led to lack of concentration in the classroom by our children, exposure to alien forms of uncensored messages about violence, guns, use of drugs and sex and has led to uncouth behaviour on and off those vehicles.

"A stop must be put to these developments and, even if we are to become unpopular for it, we will not close our eyes and fold our arms to this insidious destruction of our young people," he said.

He went on to say: "Parents will also have to worry less about the costs of sending their children to school. This facility will provide a $400 per year minimum benefit for a child who has to take only one bus to school and $750 per year minimum for a child who has to take two buses to get to school."

In addition, Thompson said that despite the Transport Board operating in a deficit of $27.8 million, "as a gesture towards containment of the costs of living in Barbados, I am pleased to announce that fares on Transport Board buses shall, in this Budget, remain untouched". (TM)