Minister defends Transport Department

While no minister of government saw fit to speak to News 5 today with regard to Monday’s riot at the Tower Hill Bridge, Henry Canton, Minister of Works and Transport, appeared on last night’s “One on One with Dickie Bradley.” Canton vigorously denied charges that his ministry awards bus permits based on political considerations.

Henry Canton, Min. of Transport

“We’re in an event where they say the consumers determine this and that sort of thing. It makes us appear that what we are doing is squashing the poor for the rich and that sort of stuff, and that is so untrue. What we have tried to lend to the department is to eliminate that political aura that taints how we operate. We honestly have. The people say that we are after Tillett. If we wanted to go after Tillett, we would have gone after Tillett a long time ago. Why go after Tillett before elections, and this is why, when I heard this over the radio, over and over, it becomes a little upsetting because¼”

Dickie Bradley

“Tillett went after you?”

Henry Canton

“Tillett has not gone after us, but Tillett is one of those operators…he’s the third largest operator, and Tillett does what Tillett wants to do. Tillett can organise and can do exactly what he did at Tower Hill; it is the nature of the beast that we deal with. Now I know that Tillett does a good service and he’s not a bad operator, but he’s not one of those who will co-operate with us when we want to get things done in the system.”

Canton said that a hotline has been established for complaints from any citizen–passenger, driver or bus owner–regarding the operation of public transport. The number is 08-20865.