Overwhelming traffic congestion

Did you notice that our roads are jam packed with cars, and that as of recently the traffic congestion has become overwhelming?

Yes, of course, main roads are under construction but besides road blocks and detours, every 4th car on the island is now RHD.

These Japanese, second-hand, at least 10 years old cars have flooded the market. They are dumped here and sold for a bundle, Awg 7,800 for a TWELVE-YEAR-OLD Suzuki Swift is not cheap. And the age of the car is responsible for the proliferation of Divi tree garages, and dead cars abandoned in backyards.

Why from Japan? Because the clever Japanese government taxes owners of older cars, for fear of pollution, so the Land of the Rising Sun residents regularly buy themselves more environmentally-friendly cars and send their junk here.

The situation on the roads is becoming unmanageable.

Sunday morning, the line at the Palm Beach traffic light stretched out to the Locals Store.

Why aren’t RHD vehicles outlawed?

Whose cousin in selling them?

He must be well connected and un-touchable

Because TEN years ago, then again THREE years ago, ACDA, the Aruba Car Dealers’ Association proposed to the government that cars older than five years couldn’t be imported anymore. They could be LHD or RHD but not older than 5 years.

Nothing happened.

BTW: 69% of the world’s counties drive LHD cars, 163 countries and territories; and the rest of the world most of the former British colonies, RHD.  

At the time, the meeting with the minister included insurance companies and the Police. The former MinJust tried and the former MinPres nixed.

Can we try again?

If there is no ban on driving RHD cars now, there should be a ban on importing more, they shouldn’t be allowed into Aruba, because they do not meet safety and emission standards.

Att MinPres, MinJust – the ball is in your court.

Ban addition RHD cars from entering, no spare parts either, and the problem will go away.

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May 29, 2018
Rona Coster