Fifty new BMW motorcycles acquired by the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) will be deployed on New Providence with the main purpose of easing traffic congestion during morning rush hour traffic, and also to help enforce traffic laws against motorcyclists who flaunt the country's road rules.

The motorcycles, which were blessed during a ceremony at the RBPF's Traffic Police Station yesterday, join 100 police trucks that were added to the RBPF's fleet of vehicles in May at a cost of approximately $2 million.

Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander was unable to give an exact dollar value for the bikes, but said the cost is "in the millions".

"This is another commitment by the government of The Bahamas to provide the police force with the quickness and power to assist in the fight against crime," Fernander said.

"[We acquired] 50 cycles, 850 BMW cycles, top of the line. We did our research and we came up with the best of the best with respect to cycles. During the course of the past seven weeks, we have identified 50 officers, just training for the bikes.

"We had the professionals from the company that these cycles were purchased from come down and assemble the bikes, assisting the officers with respect to the training and also the maintenance of the bikes, which is very important.

"So, we are pleased at this time that we have 50 bikes to assist with the management of traffic flow in The Bahamas, especially Nassau. What we have found in recent times, there are always complaints about traffic jams in the early morning and late evenings.

"We know the corridors will continue to plague us and we will continue to get complaints. You now will see cycles assisting in the smooth flow of traffic during the rush hours in the morning and the late afternoon.

"We also have a number of complaints about cyclists, especially on the weekend, not obeying the law; the traffic noise. Individuals are riding bikes recklessly throughout the streets of New Providence, especially on weekends, Sunday especially; not being licensed; no helmets like there's no law for them.

"We now have the manpower and equipment to go after these individuals. Now, we're going to be enforcing our laws and at the same time educate the drivers and motorists to drive with caution and care."

Fernander said the motorcycles represent the best in the market and he is confident that officers will be able to keep up with the required maintenance.

Stressing further the importance of servicing the bikes, Fernander said, "The bike itself will tell you when it's time for service. There'll be some indication to know that tomorrow, it's time for service, and we will have to pay attention to it. Our government is providing us with the resources. We now have to take care of the resources, so the Bahamian people get what they deserve with that presence out there; law and order for everyone."

The post 50 new motorcycles to help ease island's heavy traffic  appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

The post 50 new motorcycles to help ease island's heavy traffic  appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.

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