The call by Democratic Party (DP) faction member Viren Kotai to introduce a US $20 visitor driver’s licence (see Wednesday newspaper) was interesting. He made the suggestion during a recent urgent Parliament session on road safety and accidents.
This is by no means the first such proposal, but for some reason others were never realised. It’s also a way to generate income from tourists renting vehicles and using the public infrastructure.
One does not have to reinvent the wheel either. Several neighbouring islands including Anguilla and St. Kitts & Nevis have similar fees.
The goal is to create financial means for strengthening traffic enforcement. While money alone probably won’t solve everything, it could likely go a long way in this case.
After all, elected representatives were told a new traffic ordinance cannot be released because the company that drafted such was never paid. They also learnt police are operating at 56% capacity and that St. Maarten has neither breathalysers nor a legal basis for drunk driving tests.
So yes, related funding is very important and Kotai estimates that -based on 175,000 annual rental transactions- the measure would produce US $3.5 million per year. Adjustments to existing regulations might be needed as well, because it is currently allowed to drive in the country for a certain period with foreign driver’s licences.
Nevertheless, the idea deserves serious consideration and is relatively easy to implement via rental agencies. In that sense it seems like the proverbial low-hanging fruit.
