Government has pledged to directly engage private transport operators in the hurricane preparedness framework, following complaints that key stakeholders were excluded from recent high-level discussions, raising concerns about coordination during emergencies.

Home Affairs Minister Gregory Nicholls gave this assurance after Chairman of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT), Roy Raphael, told Barbados TODAY that operators had been excluded from a recent government meeting on hurricane readiness.

Nicholls explained that the recent Emergency Management Advisory Council meeting brought together the prime minister, senior government officials and committee heads responsible for disaster preparedness, to ensure emergency management plans and protocols were in place for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season.