“You can take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”, a proverb that reflects the views of Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Kye Rymer as it relates to the adherence of Virgin Islanders to regulations on road use and safety.
Rymer told Tola Radio, though he agrees that a revision of the existing law is necessary, the true issue lies in obedience and enforcement of whatever law is in place.
“Most definitely we need to revise, revise the laws… However, they’re only as good as the people who are obeying the laws and those who supposed to enforce it. We have laws on the books but if they not being adhered to, if no one is obeying them, you know it might as well there is nothing on the books”, he said.
“We could say we going to increase the fines… You could do all manner of things. But then it comes down to who is studying the law or who is enforcing it. It there is any enforcement at all”, Rymer added.
Reflecting on days gone by, Rymer specifically highlighted an apparent lapse in enforcement at the hands of the police, which has nurtured a disrespect within the community towards the uses of the road.
“Once you hit the road, you [would be] fearful because you know the police are somewhere around the corner so you will always put on your helmet. Even back then you would get in your car, and you would put on your seatbelt because you think you are going to get a ticket. You had police around the area, but I think that has gone through the door”, he explained.
He noted that to solve the issue, there must be a multifaceted approach.
“It should be a collaborative effort. We should consider education. Educating the riders, the road users. That is important and I’m not just speaking about younger persons. I’m speaking about mature users of the road as well”, he said.
Ultimately, Rymer urged members of the public to take responsibility for themselves on the roadways.