Making the best of a bad situation was obviously behind allowing motorists who object to the “50 Years of Carnival 2019” text on the new licence plates to keep using their old ones. They can instead get a special sticker inside the car’s windshield to indicate their road tax payment (see related story).
All this began after this year’s replacement of the usual “The Friendly Island” inscription on the number plates with the Carnival anniversary slogan was announced by Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Stuart Johnson, without preceding public consultations on the matter. Many criticised him for that, but others suggested that had he first sought everyone’s approval, nothing would have come of the idea.
Former pastor, now-Minister of Education, Culture Youth and Sports Wycliffe Smith, when asked about it, said the decision had been taken before he took office. His colleague Ministers Cornelius de Weever of Justice and Perry Geerlings of Finance were both involved in seeking an amicable solution.
However, several questions remain, such as how many stickers need to be ordered. Also relevant is who must carry this unanticipated added expense – just the vehicle owners concerned or taxpayers in general via government?
One can’t help but wonder either how this would impact the usual police controls to ensure compliance. Instead of just looking at the plates, when these are still from 2018 officers will also have to check for the sticker, something they are not accustomed to.
But on the whole this latest development may very well be the least painful way out of a sticky mess. In that sense it should be viewed as “damage control.”
