In recent months, Saint Lucia has witnessed an alarming surge in motor vehicle accidents, many of which have involved minibus drivers — the very people entrusted with the safety of hundreds of citizens each day. From high-speed cornering on narrow roads to overtaking with reckless abandon, one can’t help but ask: Who are you driving for?
Is it your ego? Your pocket? Or the precious lives of the men, women, and children who step into your vehicle, trusting you to get them from point A to point B in one piece?
The roads of Saint Lucia tell a troubling story. Sirens, skid marks, and social media videos often capture the aftermath — shattered windshields, bent metal, injured passengers, grieving families. And yet, in the face of this growing crisis, too many bus drivers continue to operate with impunity, stopping at bars for alcoholic beverages or cell phones instead of steering wheels.
The reality is this: being a public transport driver is not just a job — it’s a responsibility. It’s a commitment to safety, to professionalism, and to the community. Every time a driver puts lives at risk by speeding, driving under the influence, or failing to follow road laws, they betray that responsibility.
We’ve heard the excuses. “I have to make my trips.” “Passengers want to reach fast.” But at what cost? The cost of a life? The cost of a mother never making it home to her children? A student never sitting another exam? A worker never clocking in again?
This is not just about bad driving — it’s about a broken attitude that prioritizes convenience and profit over care and caution. And it must change.
As a society, we must hold our public transport drivers to higher standards. The Ministry of Transport, the Traffic Department, and the Minibus Associations must do more to regulate driver behavior — enforce stricter penalties for reckless driving, suspend licenses when necessary, and ensure proper road safety training.
But beyond laws and regulations, it begins with personal accountability. Every driver must pause and reflect: “Who am I really driving for?”
Because it is never just about you. It’s about all of us — the parents, the elderly, the schoolchildren, the workers — who board your bus each day, not knowing if they’ll get off safely.
Saint Lucia deserves better. Our roads that you fought for deserve more respect. And our people deserve to live.
So, the next time you grip that wheel, ask yourself — Who are you driving for?