Only allow two cars per family

Thu, Oct 15th 2015, 06:36 AM

Dear Editor,

Who that has had an opportunity to drive in Nassau would not agree that the traffic is horrendously unbearable all hours of the day - from sun-up to sun-down? What exacerbates this problem is the importation of an excessive number of vehicles on this 21 by seven mile rock, which the major portion of the population of The Bahamas calls home. This island is just too small to hold so many vehicles. The vehicles keep coming; but the island stays the same size. I think all reasonable Bahamians can agree that something must be done.

Neither this PLP government nor the former FNM administrations possess or possessed the political will to make the blatantly necessary yet probably unpopular decision that (almost) all reasonable Bahamians who drive in Nassau should recognize must be made. One would have to be extremely selfish (or a car dealer) to not support the idea that a limitation should be imposed on the number of vehicles that should be permitted to enter this 'itty-bitty' island.

I must begrudgingly admit that I do not know how the laws and regulations could be worded to achieve an amicable arrangement between the government and the Bahamian people (voters). But what I do know is that, in the final analysis, each family living in one family unit, should be permitted only two vehicles. Of course, a reasonable amount of time should be allowed to lapse before implementation to allow car dealers to adjust their long term strategic plans (at least 10 years). I believe that any reasonable Bahamian would agree. The other complicated details associated with such an initiative should be left up to the technocrats.

To ensure that this proposed legislation has any chance of survival, it is my humble suggestion that the prime minister and his government should enter into negotiations with the official opposition with a view to coming to a mutual conclusion that whomever is successful at the polls of a general election, this particular legislation will gain passage through parliament.

In my humble opinion, it will take unprecedented political maturity from the two major parties to place partisanship aside to accomplish this noble objective for the benefit of the Bahamian people.

- Marvin G. Lightbourn

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