Dear Editor,

Yesterday, I wrote about the problems this island faces regarding traffic and parking, reiterating what many before me have expressed. Today I would like to offer some potential solutions.

Of course, most actions needed to fix problems of this sort require monetary resources. There are several potential ways to help fund the plan of action.

First, there needs to be greater enforcement of the current on-the-book’s rules regarding proper behavior of vehicle owners. Excessive window tinting (a favorite topic of Mr. Russell Simmons, a retired police officer), is an easy fix and a source of revenue. Fines for non-compliance with existing rules should be implemented. Nearly half of the vehicles appear to be breaking the law. Simple controls and the doling out of fines would put a partial halt to this behavior. It should be followed up with a rejection notice at the every-two-year inspection, where if there is excessive tinting, the vehicle does not pass until it is reinspected with acceptable tinting.

Fines for disruptive and dangerous motor bike riding and speeding should be enforced.

A new import duty should be instituted to tax the import of all vehicles that share the roads. It could be one percent of a declared fair value of the vehicle being imported. In addition, a vehicle titling routine needs to be established so that the government knows who owns which vehicles. When vehicle ownership changes, a retitling would occur, including a nominal fee, so that the ownership chain is documented. When vehicles are impounded or abandoned, the government will know who owns it and can communicate with that owner regarding their responsibility to pick up, dispose or otherwise deal with the vehicle. This will also take cross-border cooperation.

In addition, there should be a new requirement that for every vehicle brought into SXM, one and a half vehicles need to be either scrapped or removed from the island, taking them off the roads, until it can be a one-for-one, adjusted for population growth, when a comfortable number of vehicles remain using the road system.

A volunteer group of concerned individuals could be formed to help identify the wrecks and abandoned vehicles, to assist VROMI with the task of removal. I will gladly volunteer my time in this effort and believe others will join me.

The additional funds raised from the fines, reinspections and the import duties would be put aside into a fund used to supplement the cost of administering the titling effort, old vehicle removal, road maintenance and improvements, and the building of new roads and parking garages.

To improve movement around the island and the unfettered ability to visit and support local businesses three things need to happen. First is the control of the number of vehicles coming and staying on the island. Second is the need for adequate parking and third is the addition of alternative routes to ameliorate the traffic flow congestion.

An easy improvement is widening the road from Marigot to the roundabout east of the causeway to allow for a dedicated right turn lane that moves traffic across the causeway and out of the traffic headed to Cole Bay.

An alternative route to get over the hill partially exists in a winding one-way road that could be straightened some and made to accommodate two-way traffic, ending in a roundabout near Kooyman.

An alternative route to build a parallel road to the airport runway from Beacon Hill to Simpson Bay would take pressure off Airport Road and could join it near Pollo Hermanos at a new roundabout. This would have the added benefit of giving Beacon Hill a second escape route in the case of Maho Beach over wash and flooding.

Has anyone considered better bridge opening times to avoid conflicts with “rush hour”?

Multi-storey parking garages need to be built in the most congested areas where businesses and tourists need to mix. Philipsburg, Simpson Bay, Marigot, Grand Case all come to mind. Employees of the businesses in the area should be required to use the garages and either walk to their employers’ establishments or there could be a golfcart type shuttle that takes them and visitors to the surrounding businesses on a schedule.

Water taxis for people, not cars, can be placed into service that will have the effect of taking cars off the roads. Philipsburg (Great Bay) could be connected to Indigo Bay, Simpson Bay, Maho/Mullet Bay, Grand Case and Anse Marcel. At each ferry terminal, there would need to be adequate taxi stands to take people to their final destinations and possible golf cart type shuttles for taking them to nearby retail establishments.

This would give an alternative, sightseeing way to traverse the calmer waters on the western side of the island.

I know that these are lofty goals but taken individually and partially funded by the new revenue sources, it is doable. If not done, the island will suffer a reputational decline leading to a drop in the one product we want to promote most, tourism.

I offer my volunteer service to assist in any way I can to make SXM a better place to navigate, shop and live the dream of a successful, attractive island experience for everyone who steps foot on this island.

R. Paul Speece

Simpson Bay

Funerals, by their very nature, are meant to be moments of reflection, dignity, and collective respect. They are among the few spaces left in public life where society pauses, where noise softens, egos recede, and decorum takes precedence over display. That is why recent footage circulating on social media showing a police-led funeral procession moving from Fort Willem Road onto Bush Road gives a moment for pause, reflections and is deserving of public scrutiny.

What unfolded was not simply a procession of mourners paying their last respects. Instead, it resembled a chaotic spectacle. Dozens of scooter riders and drivers used the funeral convoy as an opportunity to perform wheelies, burn tires, ignore basic traffic laws, and ride without helmets. This was not an isolated incident, but part of a developing culture in which funerals particularly of young men and women associated with scooters are transformed into high-risk displays of bravado.

A disturbing element, however, was not the behavior of the riders alone, but the visible presence of a police outrider at the head of the procession. The police, by leading the convoy, inadvertently legitimized conduct that was not only unlawful but dangerous to the riders themselves, to bystanders lining the streets, and to other road users. One is left to ask: should this be allowed, and under whose authority?

We often hear that obstructing a funeral procession is an offense, and rightly so. Funerals should be afforded space and respect. But what happens when the obstruction and danger come from within the procession itself? When traffic laws are flouted, safety equipment ignored, and reckless stunts performed under the banner of mourning, does the solemnity of a funeral grant immunity from the law?

This raises a broader and uncomfortable question for a small society like St. Maarten. Are we allowing certain behaviors to go unchallenged because we are reluctant to confront one another? Do we look away because “everyone knows everyone,” or because challenging dangerous conduct may be socially inconvenient? In doing so, are we quietly eroding our own standards of decency?

There is also a painful irony that cannot be ignored. In some cases, the very behaviors being displayed – reckless riding, speeding, disregard for safety – are similar to the actions that led to the death being mourned. How does one reconcile honoring a life lost with reenacting the circumstances that may have ended it? And what must the grieving family think as their moment of farewell becomes a public safety hazard?

Funerals are not private affairs when they spill onto public roads under police escort. They become communal events, subject to communal rules. This is where policy matters. Does St. Maarten have a clear funeral procession policy? If so, is it being enforced consistently? If not, it is time to develop one transparently. Such a policy should define acceptable conduct, outline the role and limits of police escorts, and make it clear that mourning does not suspend the rule of law.

Decorum is not an abstract or old-fashioned concept. It is the glue that allows a diverse, close-knit society to coexist with mutual respect. A funeral procession should never become a platform for intimidation, lawlessness, or spectacle. It should be a final act of respect for the deceased and a gesture of care toward the living.

In a small society, silence is often mistaken for tolerance. But silence in the face of danger is not kindness, it is complicity. We owe it to grieving families, to the wider public, and to ourselves to ask difficult questions and to insist that even in mourning, especially in mourning, our standards of decency remain intact.

Name withheld at author’s request.

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:

• Improve enforcement
• Strengthen driver education
• Enforce traffic laws consistently
• Plan for future growth

But, the drivers, must:

• Focus while driving
• Respect each other’s time
• Obey the rules of the road
• Stop treating public roads like personal driveways

Traffic is not just an infrastructure problem.

Until we change how we drive – how we think, how we move, how we respect one another – no number of new roads or import restrictions will save us.

Before we ask for more space, let’s learn to use the space we already have – properly.

Luis Hurtault

Dear Editor,

Permit me to engage in a brief dialogue with Minister of Health, Social Development and Labor VSA Richinel Brug. Minister, my message to you may come as a surprise, but there is no need to be astonished. I have forgiven you, shortly after you took office in November of last year, so now I can communicate to you on a level that is mature and fair-minded.

Nevertheless, I still do not agree with the manner in which you negotiated your way into the position as a minister, but that is water under the bridge. Having expressed my thoughts from then to present, there are two major reasons for this discourse, which I hope that you would take my (and many others’) concerns into consideration for continuous deliberations and eventual solutions.

First, I want to commend you on your consistent effort and determination to improve your ministry, so that the people can have a better way of life, as you envisioned the challenges that are plaguing this community. Top of the list was the announcement for SZV to reopen its doors for seniors. That was a brilliant move! Just the other day, a senior asked me to do something so simple on her phone, and I was very surprised that it was a challenge for her.

Second, I wished to highlight some issues that would demand your immediate attention for future prevention: It has been a constant discussion in private that the Colgate that is being imported is destroying the customers’ teeth. I’m amazed that so many persons are disgruntled about the same thing. Are you familiar with this complaint, Minister Brug? If you are not aware, how do you plan on tackling this growing concern?

Is this an indication of counterfeit products, or are harmful ingredients being added to this specific item? As a health minister, are you engaged in checking on the authenticity of food and beauty/care products? Does it concern you that a large percentage of these items comes out of China, a country that is labelled for producing fake items? And why is there only one brand of toothpaste in so many of these supermarkets? Where are the other types that we accustomed to?

Third, since the pandemic, there has been a rapid increase in heart attacks. Have you looked into the real causes of these incidents? And very surprisingly, strokes have become an epidemic. What is causing this issue that is now common place in our society, Minister Brug?

As the Minister of Health, do you take time to ensure that the quality of air that we breathe is up to standard? Even though emissions from the sanitary landfill are not visible, does that impact our health in a way that warrants attention?

Another health issue that has become very prevalent is the fact that so many persons are blind or getting blind. Maybe 15 to 20 years ago, I knew of 1 or 2 persons who are blind. Now, it is a regular occurrence. What is causing this rapid and unusual shift in our community, minister?

At one time, I recalled a contractor describing a particular chemical that is added to the concrete, I believe. Does this have an effect on our health? And, would this trigger your interest to investigate this type of chemical that is used in modern construction and its impact on humans, if any?

There are so many unusual health complications that have multiplied over the past few years, and with no valid explanations. Families are just left to accept whatever is being told to them. Is this fair to the community, Minister Brug? Just to reiterate, maybe 3 to 4 years ago, a friend of mine called to tell me that her ex-coworker is blind. When I asked how come, she said that he did an eye operation at the hospital and he went blind.

The sad thing is that the family just has to accept it. How is this possible? What consequence did this eye specialist face and what preventative measures are put in place so that this gross negligence does not repeat itself? One can hear so many different stories of a similar nature and the families are just left to suffer.

Have you paid attention to how some of the elderly are being abused by a young family member, who collects their pension, but keeps it for themselves? Even their food they have to hide, otherwise they will stay hungry all day. Minister Brug, you need to have a campaign on this matter, and find a way to visit persons who you feel could be victims of such injustice. It is more rampant than you think.

I can say more, but I’ll keep it there for now. Minister Brug, continue to assess and address the challenges within your ministry, in order to improve the standard of living for the people of this country.

Joslyn Morton