PRESIDENT JENNIFER GEERLINGS-Simons again made all kinds of promises in her traditional annual speech on Wednesday, but it is unclear whether they will ever be realized. It all sounds nice on paper, but whether – and especially how – these will be implemented is still a big mystery. She presented a remarkably ambitious list of infrastructure plans, which will be taken up in 2027 and 2028. From roundabouts and one-way traffic to the rehabilitation of bridges and roads into the interior should make traffic more pleasant.
It sounds decisive, especially against the background of the persistent traffic chaos on the roads, where society is shocked every week by fatal accidents. The call for intervention is louder than ever. However, the crucial question that concerns the community remains unanswered: ‘what are the intentions concretely based on?’ Has an integrated traffic circulation plan finally been drawn up that proves that these measures will actually work?
During the Bouterse and Santokhi governments, many prestige projects foundered in the quicksand of corruption or – at best – in the web of good intentions
Diverting heavy transport outside the city center and constructing strategic roundabouts can also be good steps in theory. But if they do not fit within a larger, tested mobility plan, the problem simply shifts from one bottleneck to the next street, as has happened so often in the past.
Without an overarching, scientifically substantiated plan, the plans for 2027 and 2028 presented by Geerlings-Simons risk becoming yet another loose sand. Given the bitter experiences of the past with poorly thought out infrastructural interventions, citizens have every right to be skeptical. During the Bouterse and Santokhi governments, numerous prestige projects foundered in the quicksand of corruption or – at best – in the web of good intentions.
Fortunately, among the infrastructural promises, there is one bright spot that was recently presented: the reintroduction of traffic education at primary school from the beginning of October. The initiative to familiarize children with traffic rules in a playful manner through the Road Safety Institute (VVI) from daycare and GLO schools is commendable. This is the basis of a cultural change that Suriname desperately needs.
However, the question arises about the intended education program and the exams: will they actually get off the ground? Do schools have the necessary teaching materials and structural support? The Ministry of Education is not even able to carry out its normal duties, let alone provide extra lessons. Although these can be life-saving, it is simply not realistic under the current circumstances.
The upcoming regulation for e-bikes – with a minimum age of sixteen years, helmet obligation and inspection obligation as of January 2027 – shows a sense of reality. The same applies to the mandatory moped certificate, which is now being pushed hard. But the enthusiasm about these plans is again immediately tempered by the harsh practice of Surinamese implementation.
The registration of e-bikes will not start in October as previously announced. The Suriname Police Force (KPS) has postponed the registration until “a date yet to be determined”. According to the police, some technical preparations have not yet been completed and the necessary registration cards are not yet available. This is the well-known story that often arises with new initiatives, so it is very uncertain whether this promise on paper will be fulfilled.
