Police to increase vigilance on visiting motorists

This year, during the annual Independence celebrations, there were approximately 12 “reported” traffic incidents involving bikers from overseas.

This is the most accidents ever recorded since the practice of inviting bikers and other motorists to these shores to celebrate Independence began more than 17 years ago.

As a result, the traffic department of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) will, in 2025, place visiting motorists under greater scrutiny while issuing stricter guidelines for their visit.

Last Monday, November 11, 2024, Officer in-charge of traffic, transport and garage, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Parnel Browne, in an interview with SEARCHLIGHT, said while his department welcomes and appreciates the overseas contingents, these motorists must obey the laws of the country.

“They have been coming here for quite some time, and we have seen where they are stepping up in terms of the number of persons that are coming, but they are stepping up also in terms of the way they conduct themselves on the road and the kind of activities they carry out.”

ASP Browne therefore is appealing to the local associations to continue selling Independence motor event products to visitors, but to do it properly.

“When you are selling a product, you just can’t sell a product…in such a way so that people would buy it and come to our country, our shores, with the expectation that they can come and do any and everything that they feel like.” The traffic boss said organisers have the responsibility as citizens of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) to explain the rules and regulations of the country.

“You just can’t come in a country and do any and everything you feel like. We have to clean up that aspect of it,” the ASP said, while encouraging local organisers to liaison with the RSVGPF to make the visits safer and better organised so that everyone can benefit.

“We don’t want to make it seem as if these organisations have the ultimate authority or power to bring them here and let them go on our streets to do any and everything and intimidate our motorists here,” said ASP Browne.

He noted that the activities by “some” visiting motorists, more specifically the bikers, during day to day traffic intimidate, and caused drivers to panic which in some instances have caused accidents.

“When you are organising events like these, invite a police officer…so that we can offer some guidance as to how you can better bring about some awareness to the persons who are coming in so that they can be safer on the road and our local persons can also be safe.”

He recounted incidents where a biker is in traffic and without warning, “throw the front of the bike up in the air”, a practice known as “wheelie”, while approaching other motorists.

“This is scary…and it would cause you to panic because you are not sure as to what they are doing, when they are going to put down the bike and how they are doing to manoeuvre.

“I have seen motorcyclists put up their front in the air and riding in between two lanes of traffic; it is dangerous.”

ASP Browne said on two occasions he approached two organisers and asked them to assemble the visitors in one location for a talk and it could not be done.

“They have no control. As soon as the people clear Immigration and Customs they have absolutely no control over these guys, and it is bad. We have to establish some level of control.

“If they are persons who you know have this tendency of not wanting to comply with what exists in the country, you have to ask these persons to desist from coming and carrying out these unlawful acts while riding and driving on our roads.”