Dear Editor,
I am writing to bring to your attention the deplorable conditions of our roads on our beautiful island. Our roads have been in a state of disrepair for many years and over the past months they are deteriorating more and more, causing great inconvenience not only to the inhabitants, but to our tourists that come to our island as well.
On our radio stations, both Dutch and French, one person, two persons, umpteen persons have voiced their concern about the deplorable conditions of our roads, but it seems that all the complaints and discomfort are travelling on our government’s deaf ears. There are too many potholes. The sidewalks fall into a state of disrepair when it rains, forcing pedestrians off the walkways into the already flooded streets. The only actions that take place is a white circle around the hole, then they are filled, but with a very bumpy aftermath and within short the holes resurface. This action is simply a lack of ability or skill to do the job successfully, resulting in a poorly graded pavement that is uncomfortable to drive. Over the past few days, I have seen many of the holes are filled.
That is not solving the problem. We need a permanent fix for our infrastructure. Filling the potholes is just a band-aid. Stop wasting resources on temporary, bumpy pothole filling, that will wash away within short. Our roads need long-lasting repairs to both the surface and the underlying foundation.
There are too many cracks on the roads. Too many deep holes on the side-walks. All our road edges are damaged and unfinished. All our roads are missing centre-line/lane markings. There are no dividing lines in the roads that are visible. Drivers are unable to properly identify their side of the road, leading to high risk of head-on collisions and poor lane discipline, particularly at night.
These markings are crucial for safety, as they help organise traffic flow and reduce confusion.
With the exception of the Causeway, there is absolutely no road in and around St. Maarten that one can drive smoothly without shifting left or right from a pothole. When it rains the situation worsens, as the potholes pose a serious risk of accidents.
Our government so far is showing up non-productive; they are only talking but no action.
Our past government, and the one before, and the one further back have all failed the residents of St. Maarten. Year in, year out nothing as to our roads upgrade has happened. But we are seeing more and more humongous buildings here and there with absolutely very little space for proper parking accommodation.
There is no progress with our infrastructure. Enough is Enough! Why are we paying road taxes?
Why do many, many vehicles have a plastic shield over their number plates that make it impossible to detect the number during the day light, needless to mention at night?
Why does the entire island have vehicles driving around with very, very heavily tinted front and back windshields, front and back doors. When is our chief of police going to enforce the law. Oh, I am sorry, St. Maarten is a lawless island.
There are too many old cars, buses, trucks, backhoes on the sides of the roads in many districts. Many of them are growing weeds; that’s an indication of the length of time they are parked on our already congested roads. Besides being inoperable, these vehicles are liable for potential pest infestations.
I have also noticed the Pondfill is an eyesore in the context of accumulation of 40-foot Containers on the opposite side of NV GEBE., as well as pallets and other debris that have been abandoned or accidentally disposed of with no concern for the environment.
In addition, there are:
* 40-foot containers on the opposite side of NV GEBE
* Float trailers frames on the opposite side of NV GEBE
* Parade float trailer frames on the opposite side of Blue Point
* Blue and white food truck on the opposite side of Blue Point
* Two large party buses on the opposite side of KungFu Chinese Cuisine (growing weeds)
* Parade float trailer frames on the opposite side of KungFu Chinese Cuisine
* A shack opposite Subway, where clothes hanging on a line is visible (disgusting site)
* On the opposite side of the Plaza China Supermarket there is yet another 40-foot container, as well as a white food van and a green, yellow and orange food van among the others surrounding each other
* There is a trailer opposite the Wifol building
* There are pallets visible, just left along the strip where containers were offloaded.
All the dilapidated structures (food booths, coconut water booth) are eyesores that blight the landscape and reduces not only the attractiveness, but the island’s value which has an impact on our primary engine: Tourism.
It is heartbreaking to see how our beloved Great Salt Pond has gone from a vibrant jewel to a sprawling blemish. It is time to restore our Pondfill and reverse its decline from a local eyesore into a point of pride.
Government officials, don’t you all drive by the Pondfill? Don’t any of you recognise this disgusting sight in our capital?
It has been eight years since the devastation of Hurricane Irma and there are still so many dilapidated buildings in and around the city. It is time enough to address “Code Enforcement”; blight and property ownership (dilapidated buildings).
The railings on the Airport Road Simpson Bay, Cole Bay Hill, Welgelegen Road, they are all twisted. Can’t you all see these things or are you simply not paying attention to correct these visible scenarios that are degrading our island. Again, the beauty of our island is our main source of revenue.
My biggest shame is when I drive over Cole Bay hill and see our taxi drivers drop off tourists by the Harold Jack lookout point. I feel disgusted to see the tourists having difficulty walking up and down that rocky, uneven dirt road trying to maintain a slightly bent-knee posture to help uphold their balance.
Enough is Enough! These complaints are redundant from many concerned St. Maarteners. We are tired. I am pleading to our government officials to wake up and correct all the eyesores, which show the form of poorly managed infrastructure and abandoned properties, which creates a nuisance and degrades the environment.
I have one advice to all government officials. Practice teamwork, it is generally considered better governance and more efficient use of limited resources, which creates an environment where everyone can thrive rather than just focusing on one leader’s ego.
Thank you for your attention to all of these serious issues that need action. This is a beautiful tourist destination island and enough is enough; we can do better.
Concerned citizen
