We live in a society that generally holds the view that the more one ascends academically and professionally, the more this should be reflected in their decorum and lifestyle choices.

This ideology contributes to the fact that many professionals seek to own a car, even within their first year of working. Apparently, for some, they have outgrown taking taxis and buses, and they need to show that they have now arrived at a certain level.

Understandably, however, there are others whose work requires them to have such a commodity, while there is a category that seeks car ownership out of convenience – most times because the public transportation system is unreliable and several taxi drivers are very irresponsible in their driving. After all, getting to one’s location on time and in a safe manner is a top priority for the average citizen.

While the luxury of owning a car comes with certain benefits, young professionals, especially, discover in short order that vehicle maintenance is costly. Added to that is the reality of the exorbitant gas prices, which is compounded by the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.

Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Motley recently announced a cap on gas prices, which will span a five-month period. The comparisons have now started to resurface between our two countries. Several Jamaicans, including the Opposition Peoples’ National Party (PNP), had made this plea for months to the Jamaican Government. In response, the Government allocated funds to alleviate the burden on certain public passenger operators. Of course, the regular motorists considered it unfair, as they, too, have to purchase diesel, and they pay taxes as well.

But would we have had this problem if we had an effective public transportation system? Jamaicans can be very ‘boasy’ people; however, more people might have relied on public transportion rather than driving their own vehicles.

While some people may want to show off their status in a personal manner, we ought not to be tricked that buying more cars is the solution. A First World country requires an efficient public transportation system. There will always be a good portion of the population that depends on the public system.

I have travelled to a number of developed countries and have seen how useful trams, tubes, and subways are. Some of these countries also have designated bus lanes. For the most part, the transportation arrives on schedule and people get to complete their errands. Jamaica is in need of such a system. Our railway system, for example, should have never died out; that was really a backward move by Jamaica.

Currently, the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) is limited. Additionally, their schedules are untrustworthy and several of the coaches are grossly deteriorated. Reasonably, the buses will run down, but some of them are unsuitable to carry dignified human beings.

The JUTC developed a smart-card system some years ago to help with payment regulation. However, each time passengers use their cards, the balance reduces. Perhaps they could explore having a package system in which passengers pay a flat rate for the month and are able to ride any of their buses until the time expires. Passengers would still be required to scan their cards upon entering the bus. Inspectors could be assigned to do routine checks to ensure that passengers have their own transportation cards.

Truthfully, it is difficult to have a million errands to run in one day and have to pay bus or taxi fare each time one wants to move from point A to point B.

CYCLING

Cycling is another solution to hefty gas prices and the cost to commute. This is also a common phenomenon in certain developed countries. In France, for example, there are city bicycles that can be used for 30-minute periods free of charge. One of my major concerns, however, is if we would have the honesty and discipline to maintain such a system.

Cycling is also good for our health and the environment. As we continue to promote Jamaica Moves, cycling should become a normalised social behaviour. However, the fact that we do not even have proper sidewalks in certain areas, makes it difficult to envision us having cycling tracks. However, this should be a part of any urban renewal plan being contemplated.

Cycling would also reduce the number of vehicles on the road, thus limiting traffic pile-ups, which can be very overwhelming during peak hours. Importantly, also, this would reduce air pollution.

In our daily conversations and operations, it is clear than many Jamaicans are not very conscious of human behaviour on the environment. While pursuing undergraduate studies, I recall doing a course called environmental education for sustainable development. We had a project to conduct, and my group came up with the slogan ‘We Change Climate Change’. Our behaviour will certainly be to our detriment.

We need to create better public transportation solutions. This could also help with social class divide and perception. I initially found it interesting when my senior lecturers and colleagues in France rode their bicycles to work or took the tram. In Jamaica, the expectation is that a lecturer should not only drive but also drive something fancy and expensive.

Thinking Vision 2030, it is not just about electric cars. Let us also think about building an effective public transportation system.

Oneil Madden is president of the Jamaica Association of French Teachers (JAFT) and a PhD candidate in applied linguistics at Université Clermont Auvergne, France. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or oneil.madden@uca.fr.