The police are at it again! I saw them on ZNS news tonight proudly proclaiming that they were out catching motorists at the Montagu last night and that they booked sixty drivers for various offences ranging from broken headlights to tinted windows.

Why, instead of enforcing the laws of the road on a regular day to day basis, do the police (without warning) choose a couple of hours on a certain day to hide behind trees or street corners and jump out at motorists with great glee brandishing radar guns! Yes, they are actually seen to be grinning happily! And once we heard policeman with a radar gun on West Bay Street exclaiming with delight “I got one, I got one!”

It was only just announced (see Nassau Guardian page 1, Saturday, April 10) that the police will cite motorists driving vehicles with heavily tinted windows. I agree that tinted windows should not be allowed (see my posting in BahamasIssues regarding criminals hiding behind heavily tinted windows), but surely people could have been allowed to get back to work on Tuesday and have a chance to get rid of the tint? I do realize of course that these people have had plenty of warning that this was coming, but some might not previously have had the money to get their tint taken off. A final verbal warning (with their licence number being recorded by the police) could have been given to them last night instead of causing them more expense.

Also, do the police realize that many car parts are not stocked in car parts departments and have to be specially ordered from overseas?

And another thing – I have seen cars speeding through Cable Beach, right past the Cable Beach Police Station and the officers manning the desk (who look directly out at the strip) don’t seem to take any notice! Also, motor cyclists were riding up and down West Bay Street last night with no helmets –at least not on their heads! The helmets were strapped onto their bikes!

I’ve also seen large trucks with no tail gates at the back of their loads, carrying huge boulders. If one of these trucks stopped suddenly, the boulders could roll off onto motorists driving behind them.

As we all know, there are many infractions on our roads, but the police need to deal with the really serious offenders, such as those driving like bats out of hell, rather than often picking on usually law abiding citizens who might mistakenly increase their speed to 30 m.p.h. in a 25 m.p.h. zone as they change lanes or overtake a slow driver. Our police need to stop using Third World practices and get into the First World! If it wasn’t so serious, it would be quite comical!

yeah, i saw a tractor this evening with a line of traffic behind it, it had large lights by the drivers cabin, but no actual lights, oncoming, i had to pull over because I had no idea what it was until it passed!! And they give those guys licence plates! And they can only drive 10mph..

Road traffic here is a joke!

How about drinking an driving, high as a kite from smoking grass, kids not in child seats climbing all over the drivers, people driving with no insurance nor licences, and how about the most common, running red lights, all these are more prevelant and more dangerous than dark tint.

I have a few suggestions for the Road and Traffic Department:

Put speed bumps in the Cable Beach strip if you don't want people to drive over 25mph. This works perfectly in Paradise Island. Unless you want to give drivers the opportunity to go faster so you can continue to setup your speed traps and continue collecting money from them.

Be more strict with bus and truck drivers. Put their vehicles out of circulation whenever their engine exhausts leave a black cloud of smoke not only impairing breathing to the ones behind them but also visibility. Make them pass an emissions test before they can return to the streets like it is done in many other countries.

Book people who drive too slowly also. Most of our streets are single lane and many drivers like to drive below 20mph in zones where the speed limit is 35mph and there is a high number of vehicles, often creating unnecessary long lines of traffic. This Island with an ever increasing number of vehicles needs drivers who are concious of others trying to get from point A to point B in a timely manner without braking any laws.

exactly, slow drivers are just as bad as drunk drivers, also, limit the number of cars per household, and cut down on the number of junkey japanese 2nd hand diesel cars/jeeps coming into this island.

I have a few suggestions for the Road and Traffic Department:

Put speed bumps in the Cable Beach strip if you don't want people to drive over 25mph. This works perfectly in Paradise Island. Unless you want to give drivers the opportunity to go faster so you can continue to setup your speed traps and continue collecting money from them.

Be more strict with bus and truck drivers. Put their vehicles out of circulation whenever their engine exhausts leave a black cloud of smoke not only impairing breathing to the ones behind them but also visibility. Make them pass an emissions test before they can return to the streets like it is done in many other countries.

Book people who drive too slowly also. Most of our streets are single lane and many drivers like to drive below 20mph in zones where the speed limit is 35mph and there is a high number of vehicles, often creating unnecessary long lines of traffic. This Island with an ever increasing number of vehicles needs drivers who are concious of others trying to get from point A to point B in a timely manner without braking any laws.


Good points Bahamex :tup: Welcome to Bahamas Issues.
Nassau is really too over populated with vehicles and some solution has to come about before it goes out of control.

Thanks for everyone's comments, but so often in these forums people get away from the original point!

What does everyone think about the way the police pounce on a group of motorists who just happen to be passing through their speed traps that have sprung up out of the blue for a couple of hours or so?

Why isn't Road Traffic operating more efficiently and more like a Road Traffic Department should operate?

exactly, slow drivers are just as bad as drunk drivers, also, limit the number of cars per household, and cut down on the number of junkey japanese 2nd hand diesel cars/jeeps coming into this island.

Easier said than done Rory.
It seems that the old Japanese cars are becoming even more popular these days. Why should I pay $20.000.00 for a car here when I can get one from the Trust Companys' www.japanesevehicles.com for a couple thousand bucks? :cool:

Thanks for everyone's comments, but so often in these forums people get away from the original point!

What does everyone think about the way the police pounce on a group of motorists who just happen to be passing through their speed traps that have sprung up out of the blue for a couple of hours or so?

Why isn't Road Traffic operating more efficiently and more like a Road Traffic Department should operate?

End of the month BW. :sarcastic
Government workers need to get paid and what better way to generate revenue than some lowly citizen with a heavy foot coming home from work.

Easier said than done Rory.
It seems that the old Japanese cars are becoming even more popular these days. Why should I pay $20.000.00 for a car here when I can get one from the Trust Companys' www.japanesevehicles.com for a couple thousand bucks? :cool:

because have of them are not road worthy, Im tired of driving behine a japanese diesel car/jeep and choking on their discusting black diesel smoke. They can get good cheap cars from the US, better than the Japanese anyday.

End of the month BW. :sarcastic
Government workers need to get paid and what better way to generate revenue than some lowly citizen with a heavy foot coming home from work.


speed limits here are rediculous anyway, 30mph, 25mph, good for school zones, but thats about it!

But yes, road traffic dept is still a joke! :shaky:

End of the month BW. :sarcastic
Government workers need to get paid and what better way to generate revenue than some lowly citizen with a heavy foot coming home from work.


Thanks Delroy! Another point I omitted to mention! $$$$$ !!!!

The police are at it again! I saw them on ZNS news tonight proudly proclaiming that they were out catching motorists at the Montagu last night and that they booked sixty drivers for various offences ranging from broken headlights to tinted windows.

Why, instead of enforcing the laws of the road on a regular day to day basis, do the police (without warning) choose a couple of hours on a certain day to hide behind trees or street corners and jump out at motorists with great glee brandishing radar guns! Yes, they are actually seen to be grinning happily! And once we heard policeman with a radar gun on West Bay Street exclaiming with delight “I got one, I got one!”


Keep posting in Bahamas Issues people! I really think these forums are being taken note of! Today we saw several police cars cruising and booking motorists in what seemed to be an ongoing effort!



And another thing – I have seen cars speeding through Cable Beach, right past the Cable Beach Police Station and the officers manning the desk (who look directly out at the strip) don’t seem to take any notice! Also, motor cyclists were riding up and down West Bay Street last night with no helmets –at least not on their heads! The helmets were strapped onto their bikes!



A police car had stopped on Mackey Street and the officers seemed to be booking a motorcyclist who didn't have his helmet on!

It looks as though at last the police might be starting new tactics in a more up to date fashion :cheers:

Same thing going on in the East Street south area.

I total agree with most items said here. I don’t think it’s fair that the police can’t find one officer to come to our rescue when our homes are being robbed, nor can they find the man power to investigate and track down the perpetrator when a young teen girl is raped. Yet they can find dozens of men to put on the streets targeting and harassing hardworking Bahamians on their way home from work for a stupid blown tail light. Then that same hardworking Bahamian has to pay for known criminals to be kept in our already crowded prison, when these criminals should be extradited to pay the penalty for their crimes!! They wanna take my couple dollars for a blown light, but these monster criminals are sheltered and protected?! If I were a police who had to book these people driving home from an honest day of work I would be ashamed!!! Targeting honest Bahamians while Criminals roam free. They know where real criminals are. They know where number houses are, they know where drug houses are and they know where the files for those dozens of unsolved murder cases are!! They ought to be ashamed!!!!!

I total agree with most items said here. I don’t think it’s fair that the police can’t find one officer to come to our rescue when our homes are being robbed, nor can they find the man power to investigate and track down the perpetrator when a young teen girl is raped. Yet they can find dozens of men to put on the streets targeting and harassing hardworking Bahamians on their way home from work for a stupid blown tail light. Then that same hardworking Bahamian has to pay for known criminals to be kept in our already crowded prison, when these criminals should be extradited to pay the penalty for their crimes!! They wanna take my couple dollars for a blown light, but these monster criminals are sheltered and protected?! If I were a police who had to book these people driving home from an honest day of work I would be ashamed!!! Targeting honest Bahamians while Criminals roam free. There know where real criminals are. They know where number houses are, they know where drug houses are they know where the files for those dozens of unsolved murder cases are!! They ought to be ashamed!!!!!

Id never put the blame on the police themselves, id steer it towards their management.

The problem I see happening is that the criminals are going to prison for like a year, being released to cause more havic, then going back, then being released again, over and over!

But yes, a bunch of police booking people for doing 30mph is rediculous, ill keep doing my 40mph and keep crossing my fingers! :-) Havent got a ticket yet, but at least I get my work done, which if doing these pathetic speed limits, would never happen.