she has been living under a rock too. last 20 days? surviving in Nassau is down to your odds.

The problem is that when one is caught and being processed, thirty more speed by. It takes motorcycle backup and responsible follow through to make it work. First, stop drinking and driving, add in an open bottle law where anyone driving with an open bottle or can of alcoholic tainted liquid is immediately arrested and taken to the pound, and even those who do not dip their headlights to oncoming traffic are arrested and brought up on charges pertaining to their transgressions.

You have dinosaur thinking because we have dinosaurs running our country.These people are obsolete.

Minister it seems that a large number of people, in Nassau, do not know the rules of the road.

Rumor is that a large number of persons have obtained their licence without actually taking the test.

Add this to the fact that our drivers test can be best described as joke because any idiot can pass it. What was good in the 1940's is no good today. Why not take a look at the German or UK standards. Those are countries were the roads are small, like ours, and they are taught how to use a roundabout.

Many cars on our roads are death traps at any speed so look at the vehicle inspection requirements in Europe (things like the depth of the tire tread, properly adjusted headlights etc.).

Speed is a minor element in all the deaths. There is so much more to safe driving.

lets blame the parents.

The lack of enforcement of Road Traffic Laws in The Bahamas is an absolute joke and an affront to this Nation. How the heck do half of the drivers on this island pass a driving test? Many road users don't even have a driving licence. You might as well remove indicators from vehicles because no one knows how to use them. Why does the police allow many owners to black out their windows? Drinking and driving, motorists driving one handed with smart phone pressed against their ear. Traffic lights out, pot holes resembling craters. Morons overtaking when it is unsafe to do so all to gain fifty yards. You take your life in your hands every time you go onto a road in New Providence. We are truly a third world country.

Yes, the Invisible Road Traffic Division. The only time you ever see a motorcycle cop is when they are outriders for the Emperor, the Lady on the Hill or drinking at Rabbits.

I think the Minister opened her moth too wide now and both feet are in it. She and her PLP House Members are in charge and can change anything they want to change and in any way they wish. No good for her to be "concerned", get off your ass and get the police out of the station and visible on the roads and at stop signs and in neighborhoods. The Bahamian people have never had discipline since Pindling told them that God gave this country to them. And its gone downhill since then. **BRING BACK BUMPY WATKINS IF YOU WANT ACTION.**

full of crap. we don't even have 1 breathalizer on the island as far as i know, yet every bar and club and restaurant i know has the majority of patrons leaving with several (and i mean more than 2) drinks under their belt. it would be a lot cheaper to invest in breathalizers and let bahamians know there will now be strict penalties for drunk driving, than to try to educate people who know there are no punishments for illegal/dangerous/reckless behaviour.

One car per family. That way sharing and respect would be engendered. We have to go for a 'Broken Window' law, where anyone committing any infraction is pulled up and MADE TO PAY THE CONSEQUENCES for their actions. Disregard any connections to politicians as they are the ones who should lead in what is right and what is wrong. REMEMBER - they are in the employ of the public and must answer to all questions with respect - if not - with their tails between their legs.

Comrades the government should block the import of all but small cars and other passenger vehicles.into Nassau. No exceptions.
The vehicle inspections are nothing but farce.
Fire all workers and shut down The Road Traffic Authority..
Introduce Exclusive Government Issued Vehicle Insurance policies.
License repair shops conduct proper Vehicle Road Worthy inspections.
Switch over to drive on right side damn roads.
Offer free bicycles to all citizens and residents and free bicycle rentals tourists.

Actually, I think that Tal has some really good ideas.

I have a suggestion for implementing driving on the right side of the road. On the first day of the switch-over, just jitneys and trucks will drive on the right. If that works out, the next day, we will switch whatever cars are left to drive on the right.

The free bicycles is a damn good idea as well. Have them in Amsterdam. However there are two problems with that. First, we would kill a lot of tourists with the way that we drive, and secondly, the bicycles would all be tiefed in 24 hours.

But it is true. We should have vehicle import laws -- with duty preference to hybrids, and stringent, mechanized vehicle inspections that report inspection data.

Man Tal, you must still have your copy of the "Little Red Book", and still reading its quotes.

Comrade Economists I think the stopping to rent four-wheel vehicles to tourists is right up there with dealing with all crime matters.
There also should be a maximum of (1) four-wheel vehicle allowed be registered per residential address.
Vehicles used commercially must be parked when not on official business during normal business operating hours.
Vehicle restriction laws must be applied not only to Nassau but Freeport and each of the Out Islands.
Fundamentally, we need do a 360 degree reversal , not just a Minister Obadiah "tweak" we urgent crime matters and vehicle congestion.

Freeport roads are designed and maintained better than any in the country. Freeport has very few cars so there is no need to limit the number.

Also the renting of cars and vans by tourists is now something that has been established around the world. In addition they are not a major source of the deaths on the roads.

The government (past and present) has failed in its duty to up date laws and to enforce anything. But, considering that many members of parliament (they are in power and need to set the example) have failed to comply with the law, in filing their net worth, and the government has failed to enforce, even that, it is little wonder road traffic is useless.

Arrr Franklyn, you are looking to make the government accountable for its actions.

The problem is that we, as a people, are weak and never get together on anything. You need some one to stand up and sue the government. Bahamians have no back bone like the foreigners.

Look at who have taken on the government in court....see many Bahamians....no....."I scared!".....or "they will victimize me".....one excuse after another.

What you want to do would improve the standard and greatly reduce the deaths that the Minister complains of.

Keep pushing and spreading the word.....maybe you will be able to encourage a few who can make a difference.

**Also a behaviour of great danger currently affecting safety on the road, is: Drivers texting and / or talking on the cellular phones !** surely you also have seen this ! I saw a driver looking and texting on his ipad while it was resting on the wheel, as we were slowly approaching a round about. Many, many drive holding the wheel with one hand and the other holding the cellular to the ear, talking and driving. In the USA, Canada, Europe, and other countries, this practice is written in the Law as being against the Law. In some other is allowed as long as the cellular is fixed on the dashboard, hands free. But even so, there is the danger of accident by distraction.
**Another frightening practice** I notice is drivers driving with HIGH BEAMS blinding the incoming driver. Many do not understand the message one tries to send by blinking one´s signal, it means: Please lower your BEAM.

"OR", perhaps you caught them mid flight, the gravitational force reaction to hitting a surface crater. At the time you passed, they were on their way back down and their lights caught you dead in the eye...it could happen...

The corrupt Christie-led PLP government has destroyed the social and economic conditions necessary for the creation of decent paying private-sector jobs thereby leaving many destitute who fall victim to the excessive consumption of alcohol to ease the pain and suffering they feel from their low self-esteem and lack of sense of worth to their children, other family members and society at large. True to form Hanna-Martin always looks to blame any and everyone but the PLP government for any and everything bad or wrong in our country today. What the incompetency of Hanna-Martin alone as a PLP Cabinet Minister has cost our country over the years is truly staggering. There must be an abundance of alcoholics in her constituency!

Comrades our capital island of Nassau MUST have a plan started to begin reducing the population of Nassau by 100,000 by the year 2026.
I repeat - STOP within 12 months the renting out of four-wheel vehicles to ALL tourists and business visitors,
No insurance company will be allowed pay out any accident insurance claim if not accompanied by a police accident report.
Do away with the Taxi Business as we know it today.

Tal, you are right about the need to reduce the population in Nassau. The island is burdened by all the people. The infrastructure can't withstand it.

Freeport was designed for 250,000 people and only has about 50,000. But government would have to have a real economic plan like Cayman to encourage the necessary FDI to create the jobs.

That would include opening up immigration with set rules of efficiency, no waiting 3 months for a Work Permit or Residence Permit. I understand that once you have all the paper work in that Cayman produces the permits in 10 days or so.

We would also need to adopt the US Dollar and abandon Exchange Control.

Comrade first things first. The People's duly elected government MUST conquer the foreign ownership controlling Freeport. For heaven's sake this is 2016, not 1950's days of ex convict Wallace Groves

Tal, Cayman is attracting some big name corporations, some wanted to come here but we were unable to give them the certainty that proper business needs.

It is usually the more shady characters that will look to The Bahamas because they think that they will be able to cut a deal or do something they could not do else where as many of our laws are out of date or not properly enforced.

We also need to get away from our xenophobic thoughts. A good sized portion of New York City and its harbor are controlled by a private company and it seems to work quite well.

Foreign ownership is becoming the norm all over the world.

Just need the right owners regardless of nationality.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor…

Tal: What about reducing the population of the WHOLE BAHAMAS. We can control illegal immigration humanely and before arrival in the Bahamas, but the greater problem is helping Bahamians to understand that breeding more children than they can afford to feed, clothe and educate is a problem. For most in the lower income bracket the number is zero. The other thing to be learned is that having children outside of marriage should not be allowed.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article…

marrcus clip is from 2008 but today's Tribune headline ( not up yet ) is another damning report for our tourism industry. Hanna-Martin better smell the coffee before Wilchcombe has no Tourism product to Minister to. And the speeders will have no gas for their cars, and drunk drivers won't be able to buy liquor and the unwed mothers will have to eat their babies just to sustain their own lives. This country is in deep doo-doo and everyone in Cabinet and the House is asleep. Or having "teachable moments" but we are all in the same leaky, sinking boat.

Imagine what would have happened if Hubert Ingraham did not upgrade those roads?????? How many deaths would have occurred on the Airport Road if that was the original one lane trackroad???? ...................... just saying

They need to do something about jay walking. Pedestrians don't seem to understand that they can cause accidents and deaths even if they themselves are not hit.

Our country is so sad. So many things have been allowed to just spiral out of control