Tuesday’s maiden visit of the world’s biggest cruise ship “Icon of the Seas” was a pretty big deal, topped off by fireworks at its departure courtesy of St. Maarten Port Group (SPG). With two other large passenger vessels calling, the island and particularly hot spots including Maho Beach were quite busy.
That also goes for Philipsburg, much to the delight of especially merchants and vendors. However, a witness saw four tourists trip and fall during the three hours he was there.
The reason: Uneven and loose bricks as well as protruding items like street furniture, planters, etcetera. In fact, strolling around in the down-town shopping area is not without considerable risk.
Of course, one could argue that people ought to look where they walk. However, the intention is for guests to relax and enjoy their surroundings too.
Work on alleviating the problem at various locations has taken place in the recent past, but it apparently needs to be a continuous and comprehensive effort. After all, when they decided to place bricks on a sandy surface subject to shifting because of rain and high seas, regular maintenance was – or at least should have been – a forgone conclusion.
Moreover, different kinds of objects placed on the roadside over the years for many purposes including beautification and to prevent illegal parking have become significant hazards. Something must be done to enhance the safety of pedestrians in the capital.
The future Ministers of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROOM and of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEAT) would do well to make an urgent inspection their first order of business and quickly pursue tangible solutions.
