During Friday morning’s question hour in Parliament, the PPA faction addressed three critical and pointed questions to the Minister of Justice, Mr. Arthur Dowers. Parliamentarian Eduard Pieters used the opportunity to put on the table an issue that is already alarming the entire country: the serious deterioration of traffic safety in Aruba. This concern is neither opportunistic nor emotional; it is based on recent reality, empirical data, and the tragedies that have already cost several human lives.
Irresponsible behavior since December
“Since December, the PPA has already noticed that traffic behavior has visibly worsened. From the moment the parliamentary recess began, the PPA faction took the initiative to speak with various traffic experts, evaluating what is going wrong and how the PPA can contribute constructively to improving safety. The PPA also began asking sharp and concrete questions to the minister, demanding clarity, planning, and action,” Pieters stated.
A structural behavioral problem
Today’s question hour took place in an extremely painful context. Even as the session was underway, news came in of a serious scooter accident and another accident from the previous night in front of the police station in San Nicolas. These cases are not isolated incidents; they are symptoms of a structural traffic behavior problem. Pieters emphasized that while the attitude of our own citizens in traffic leaves much to be desired, individual conduct cannot be separated from a system that does not adequately prevent, control, or sanction.
A comprehensive and swift approach
In the chamber, Pieters reiterated that traffic safety must be holistic, based on three pillars: engineering, law enforcement, and education/awareness. Without these three pillars together, any measure will remain fragmented and ineffective. On engineering, he reminded that speed limits already exist outside built-up areas, but made an urgent call to also install more speed-limit signs on the road below the bridge, temporarily prohibiting speeds above 80 km/h in order to reduce the real accident risk at this critical location.
Law enforcement
Regarding enforcement, the PPA was clear: “Aruba needs more police on the roads, more active controls, and investment in overtime. Speed detection (speed cameras) and visible police presence are not punishment but prevention. Human life has no price, and no budgetary cost should ever outweigh human life. Aruba cannot continue to accept fatalities as a ‘price of progress,’” Pieters stated.
“Environmental triggers”
In the area of education, Pieters emphasized a crucial point: awareness does not require spending enormous amounts of money on media advertising and calling it a campaign. “Awareness is an environmental trigger: strategic signs placed in ways that force people to read, repeat, and internalize the message. It conditions behavior so that, at the decisive moment, a driver’s conscience actually works and attitudes can change.”
An immature coalition attitude
Pieters expressed strong disappointment that, once again, certain coalition representatives showed an immature attitude by trying to downplay the problem and claiming that unsafe traffic “is not new.” They try to ignore the fact that elections have passed and that this same coalition has now been in government for more than eight months. When they were in opposition, they criticized; now they have the power to act. “What are you really going to do?” Pieters asked the minister.
Finally, Pieters noted that Minister Dowers once again mentioned the formation of an interdepartmental commission, with results expected within two weeks. The PPA faction will remain alert and vigilant: what is the commission’s mandate, what are the concrete actions, and how will the results translate into immediate measures. Aruba cannot afford even one more traffic fatality. Traffic safety is a serious test of governance. The time for action is now.
