Freedom of Information Request #2009-1: To Barbados Transport Board

With much fanfare during the 2007 election campaign, then Opposition Leader David Thompson promised that a DLP government would introduce Freedom of Information legislation (FOI) within 100 days of taking office. FOI was part of a promised ITAL (Integrity, Transparency and Accountability Legislation) package that dropped off the radar the minute that the DLP gained access to the treasury after 14 years out of power. Likewise, the promise to “immediately” enact conflict of interest rules for Ministers was never heard about again. Thanks To Prime Minister David Thompson, Barbados Government Officials Can Still Use Their Office For Personal Profit

Almost two years have passed since those ITAL promises and even the most die-hard DLP supporters have reluctantly conceded that Thompson and his DLP lied to the electorate about their intentions.

Thompson and his gang of piggies at the public trough don’t want to enact Freedom of Information Legislation because FOI would allow ordinary citizens access to government financial records. That would empower ordinary citizens and the media to hold elected and appointed government officials accountable for wrongdoing and the Prime Minister doesn’t want that!

Like the Barbados Labour Party government before them, the DLP government is committed to keeping citizens in the dark – but there is no reason why we can’t put these Freedom of Information Requests on file on the internet. Someday perhaps citizens will be able to act upon them, but in the meantime the presence of these FOI requests on the internet will serve to illustrate that Prime Minister Thompson and his gang know nothing about transparency, accountability or integrity.

Here is our first…

FOI Request #2009-1: To Barbados Transport Board

To: Barbados Transport Board

FOI Request: Maintenance & other records for bus involved in accident October 9, 2009

Dear Sirs,

Under the FOI legislation of Barbados, I demand copies of the following records for the bus involved in the accident that happened about October 9, 2009 as illustrated in the attached photo taken from the Nation newspaper. I enclose the required fee and expect to receive copies of the requested records within 100 days as per the FOI law. Specifically, I request copies of…

1/ All maintenance records for the bus for the last five years.

2/ All vehicle licenses, inspection certificates, safety certificates and/or other forms and inspection sheets associated with this bus.

3/ Any Bus inspection procedures and/or regulations published internally by the Barbados Transport Board.

4/ Copies of all internal and external correspondence and/or reports mentioning this bus for the last five years.

5/ Copies of all post-accident reports, photos, inspection forms, reports, letters and/or any communications, whether internal or external, possessed by the Barbados Transport Board and having to do with the accident involving this bus.

Yours truly,

A Bajan citizen empowered by the Freedom of Information Act of Barbados (enacted 2017 by the Barbados Integrity Party government)