BETTER DAYS are coming for the public service vehicles (PSVs) sector.

Morris Lee, president of a newly formed association that represents the PSVs, is giving the public this assurance in light of all the negative comments it has been receiving.

Speaking to the DAILY NATION on Monday night, he said the body intended to address some of the issues raised by principal of Garrison Secondary School, Matthew Farley.

"Some of the things that he is expecting us to do go beyond the scope of a transport service provider. I don't think it is fair and reasonable for operators to ensure that schoolchildren wear epaulettes and that they ensure that schoolgirls don't wear skirts that are too short.

"I don't think any reasonable person would expect a service provider to be mandated to do that. We believe that that level of discipline lies in a realm that is outside of the sector," he added.

Farley, in his column in the SUNDAY SUN, told the PSVs stakeholders that if they understood the role they played in moving commuters to and from school and work, they should move swiftly to put standards in place.

He also told them "... [I]nsist that students do not board the vehicles unless they are wearing the full school uniform including epaulettes, ties, and badges. Discourage boys from wearing their pants below their waists and girls from wearing short skirts on the vans.

"Stop playing music that corrupts the morals of the youth and encourages disrespect for authority and the police. Have zero tolerance for the use of abusive language," he wrote.

He also urged PSV operators to "desist from the practice of going off route and driving recklessly through residential districts in order to evade the police while driving vehicles that are recklessly overloaded".

Lee said: "We subscribe and we are ready to meet the other challenges that he has alluded to and when we unveil our plan, rest assured that those concerns that we know we can meet will be met and swiftly."

He added that it was only a small fraction of the sector that did not comply with the regulations and promised that that would change.

The new body is setting up a disciplinary committee on which a retired superintendent of police and a "leading cleric" would be represented.

"We will be rolling out a comprehensive plan . . . . This is a holistic thing. We're looking at public participation. We're looking at Government participation, we are looking at the participation of the church.

"We are looking to deal with this problem from all angles and at the end Barbados will benefit . . . Better days are coming," Lee promised. (DS)