𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐗𝐌: 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬

Letters to the editor 21 December 2025 Hits: 33

Dear Editor,

You wake up in the morning.

You pray.

You read your affirmations.

You get dressed for work.

Mariah Carey, T-Mo, or Ruff & Ready Christmas songs set the mood.

You hit the road – and – immediately, you hit traffic.

Sounds familiar?

For months now, traffic has dominated conversations across SXM radio, Facebook groups, and street corners. We hear it daily: “Too many cars.” “Limit vehicle imports.” “We need more roads.” While these discussions are valid – and government certainly has a role to play – there is a deeper issue we are refusing to confront: the users.

Over the past month, I’ve paid close attention while driving our already busy two-lane roads. Like many of you, I’ve sat in traffic, inched forward, rounded the corner … and wondered:

Where was the traffic even coming from?

No accident. No construction. No obstruction. Just … congestion.

And that’s when it became clear: 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝.

Before we rush to import fewer vehicles or pour concrete for new roads, we must first address how irresponsibly, inattentively, and inconsiderately we use the roads we already have, 𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜

In my view, traffic in SXM is created daily by behaviours that have nothing to do with infrastructure and everything to do with discipline:

Drivers who do not know how to properly use a roundabout
Vehicles crawling from town to Sucker Garden at 10 mph
Drivers eating, drinking, or distracted behind the wheel
Adults driving with babies or toddlers in their laps or standing in vehicles
Hands hanging out the window like it’s a parade route
No indicators – guessing becomes the norm
Pedestrians darting across roads instead of waiting safely
Drivers blocking entrances and exits to businesses
Vehicles entering or exiting the road at a snail’s pace
Drivers slowing traffic simply because their destination is “somewhere along this road”
Vehicles stopping in the middle of the road instead of pulling aside
Drivers slowing down because someone honked at them
Drivers moving slowly with no one in front of them
Bus drivers, taxi drivers, and private drivers stopping in traffic to drop off or pick up passengers
Passengers flagging down vehicles in the middle of the road instead of allowing them to pull off
Drivers unsure of where they’re going–deciding in real time, blocking everyone else
Drivers creating unnecessary gaps between vehicles
Heads buried in phones while traffic piles up
Stopping to chat with officers about non-urgent matters
Stopping to hail co-workers, friends, or family
Heavy-duty vehicles on the road during restricted hours

None of these require new roads to fix.

W𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭

Every unnecessary stop.

Every delayed turn.

Every distracted driver.

𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲.

In a country that depends heavily on tourism, service, punctuality, and efficiency, these behaviours cost us more than patience. They cost us revenue. They cost us reputation. They cost us opportunity.

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲–𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡.

𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

Yes, government must: