Public Service Vehicle (PSV) operators could soon be paying less for fuel under an arrangement with a major player in the industry.Chairman of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT) Roy Raphael has revealed to Barbados TODAY that the association is working with RUBIS on a deal that would provide them with much-needed savings.He said stakeholders recently had initial discussions with that company as well as other fuel companies, and although mum on the quantum and other details of the savings some operators may benefit from soon, he said an official announcement is on the horizon.“The discussions went well but we have to return to the table again on Friday because a number of options were placed on the table on our side, as they also did on their side. They have asked us to look at the [proposed deal] and share it with our members,” Raphael said.“They would have explored some of the areas in which they would have worked with some of our counterparts in the Caribbean, such as the Grenada Transportation Association; they would have worked with Cayman Islands and a number of companies…. We are hoping by next week we will be in a better position to speak to the public about it.”Raphael added that the savings proposed in the deal with the fuel industry along with the green energy push being undertaken by the AOPT were all part of an effort to reduce maintenance costs and avoid having to increase bus fares, which would be an additional burden on passengers.
