Forde urges return to discipline, respect amid crime concerns

Barbados must urgently rekindle a culture of discipline, respect and lawfulness to tackle rising crime, a former social care minister has warned, as Parliament debated new measures to regulate vehicle window tints.

Deputy Speaker of the House Cynthia Forde, MP for St Thomas, made an impassioned plea for Barbadians to return to the basic tenets of discipline, love, respect and compliance with the laws of the land as a means of addressing growing crime.

Forde was speaking on a bill to amend the Road Traffic Act in the House of Assembly on Tuesday.

The measure is designed to regulate the level of tint used on the windows of motor vehicles to allow law enforcers a clearer view of the occupants, especially those suspected of concealing weapons.

Forde lamented that indiscipline was now rife in the country, with people who should know better engaging in lawlessness.

She said: “This legislation calls for that holistic approach of Barbadians coming together, looking at the tints. Yes, I have a vehicle that has the tint as well. My grandson, he was quick to say: ‘Granny, it is the law, and I am going to get the one taken off the vehicle that I am driving.’ And he did. So, he led by example.”

Forde said she needed to find the time to get her tint removed because she wanted to conform to the law.

She said: “I am talking about the basics and the tolerance and the respect and adherence to the rules and regulations, and so, I believe that that has to be more closely dealt with, and not only at the parliamentary level, but the entire society must come together and speak to the issues, and of course, give that necessary guidance and representation in relation to conforming with the law.

“So, I have difficulty when I see some of these things that bother me, that I cannot sleep, and I am wondering, how can we overcome it?”

The St Thomas MP drew reference to fictitious number plates on vehicles, as well as some types of numbers which are illegible.

She said: “Nobody seems to want to conform. It makes it difficult for persons like me in my senior years who can hardly see in the distance, and you are wondering: ‘What is that car number that just passed me? I hope it doesn’t hit anybody and then the person doesn’t have the evidence because they could not understand that number plate, or the number plate is cracked.’”

Forde suggested that the legislation should also have made provision to address the variety of coloured headlamps on vehicles, which she argued make it problematic for people with visual challenges.

“But there is time and place that we perhaps can have it done, because it is not only impacting other motorists, but people who have vision problems, whether they are old or whether they are young or not so young, it is difficult to negotiate on our streets, especially streets that don’t have street lights,” the MP urged. (EJ)