Regardless of its complexity, paramount to solving any problem, is that ability to recognise a problem exists. And extrapolating from this proposition, it can be argued that integral to solving the carnage on our roads, is the ability to first recognise the road carnage as a problem.
However, such syllogistic reasoning is beyond PPP, since they, dumb as a box of rocks, fail to recognise the deaths of our youngest and smartest as a problem. As a result, failure to recognise the road carnage as a problem, has made it an impossible undertaking to formulate solutions. Which means, in the absence of formulated solutions, we will continue to have bloody massacres on our thoroughfares.
And confronted with such bloody massacres, one would’ve anticipated, foolishly so, visionary leadership from PPP. However, this is painfully not the case, even as they’ve reduced their road safety strategy to the weary old cliché; Use the roads with care. But these Jim Jones type thoroughfare massacres, demand much more than overused cliché. In fact, they call for innovative road traffic strategies and policies, informed by scholarly out of the box thinking.
Nonetheless, despite these daily bloodletting catastrophes, PPP remain unaffected, in a state of oblivious inaction. And whilst they exist in this state of oblivious inaction, our young people are being reduced to mangled bodies, on these our pothole roads. In fact, the mangled bodies splaying our roads, in this small oil kleptocracy of ours, represent a catastrophic waste of human and economic resources. Therefore, considering this catastrophic wastage, this column has taken the liberty, proposing recommendations to address the wanton waste of life.
Thus, in the context of these recommendations, we first examine the Police Licensing Unit, the main driver, pun intended, underpinning these catastrophic road carnages. For this Unit, which is mired in pervasive corruption, should be replaced by a newly formed independent, Drivers License Authority (DLA), as recommended by this column. And this Body, with powers to issue licence, would also have powers to register points on said licence, which will inform suspension when a predetermined number of points is accrued.
Moreover, none would deny, with the exception of PPP, that our roads have been reduced to deadly speedway racing tracks. And with such speedway racing tracks unnoticed by PPP, mean the urgent need for speed cameras, both fixed and mobile, isn’t envisage. As a result, to deter speeding, this column would propose cameras, erected at known road traffic accident hotspots. Further, this column would also propose that the Police, working collaboratively with the DLA, have oversight for these cameras.
What’s more, we the masses, in this PPP kleptocracy, are all too familiar with corrupt traffic shakedowns. And confronted with such perennial shakedowns, this column would endorse body cameras, serving an invaluable evidentiary tool, as the Police engage the public. Moreover, to deter intentional deactivation of said cameras, this column would argue the case for severe penalties if such were established.
Furthermore, with the unregulated used vehicular importation market, it remains unsurprising, many of our road traffic accidents are caused by vehicles which aren’t road worthy. As a result, annual vehicular certification would be strongly recommended, with regulation by the DLA, and enforcement by the Police. Moreover, addressing this perennial problem of road worthiness, would also mandate stricter regulation of the importation and sales of used tyres.
Then with the rapid expansion of motor vehicular traffic, with the ensuing increase in road traffic accidents, this column would proffer the establishment of an independent Ministry of Transport. For this ministry would’ve oversight of the DLA, including our thoroughfares. Moreover, this ministry would’ve overarching responsibility for Awareness Courses, regulated by the police, for road users who within limits, fall foul of the traffic laws.
Having said that, our roads represent some of the most dangerous in the Caribbean. And being cognisant of this, one would’ve anticipated holistic strategies, as proposed in this column, from the installed government. However, that’s not the case, as PPP of limited ideas, can only propose simplistic solutions to an overly complex problem, even as we the masses continue to perish on these death roads.
