Dear Editor,
I am writing this article as a concerned citizen of Orange Walk Town, better known as Sugar City, with the hope that it does not fall on deaf ears.

We have to accept the fact that Orange Walk Town is no longer the Orange Walk of the fifties. Orange Walk Town has been growing rapidly day by day — a lot of vehicles, trucks, cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. In view of the heavy traffic, a few traffic lights were installed.

Now that our town is buzzing with vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles, I ask myself: who is responsible to see that traffic rules are not violated? Is it the policeman? Or is it the traffic officer? Or is it both?

If it is the policeman, then do your job.

If it is the traffic officer, then do your job.

The traffic lights were installed, not only for vehicles and motorcycles, but also for persons riding bicycles. No-entry signs were placed, not only for vehicles and motorcycles, but also for persons riding bicycles. I have seen persons on bicycles passing the red light. What is this?

On a daily basis, I see persons riding bicycles on a no-entry street. What is this? Worst of all, they ride as though the street is theirs.

Come on, policeman. Come on, traffic officers. Do your job. When a policeman catches someone riding on a no-entry street, what does he do ? He simply tells him to get down. Come on, policeman. A no-entry street is a no-entry street. You should not even push your bicycle there. Believe it or not. If the person wants to continue on that no-entry street, he then should carry his bicycle.

Sometimes I see persons reversing on a no-entry street. Why? To save gasoline? No, man —by not reversing, you may be saving a life, not gasoline.

By the way, isn’t parking on the left-hand side of the street prohibited? If so, why then can a bunch of vehicles be seen every day on the left-hand side of the main street as you enter it from Bakers Street? What is this? To my knowledge, you may park on the left only in special circumstances like loading and unloading.

Come on, policeman. Come on, traffic officer. Do your job. Are you going to wait until a fatal accident occurs and then be pointing fingers at each other?

Remember the wise saying, “Prevention is better than cure.”

To conclude, may I state that it seems that most of these bicycle-riding offenders are citizens with little concern about being law-abiding. If this is the case, then let the rod of correction befall them.

Octavio Rosado
Retired Teacher,
Orange Walk Town