SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) – Nation Opportunity Wealth (NOW) Member of Parliament (MP) Lyndon Lewis is calling on the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Telecommunication and Traffic (TEATT), Grisha Heyliger-Marten to take immediate and decisive action to address the worsening traffic congestion affecting the island, warning that continued inaction could have serious consequences for residents, businesses, and the country’s vital tourism industry, the MP said in a Wednesday evening January 7, 2026 press statement.
According to MP Lewis, traffic congestion has escalated significantly in several key areas, particularly during peak commuting hours and periods of high tourist activity. Daily commuters, emergency services, public transportation users, and visitors are increasingly experiencing delays that impact productivity, safety, and overall quality of life.
“This issue has grown beyond being a simple inconvenience. It is now a national concern that requires urgent attention,” MP Lewis stated. “Persistent traffic congestion places unnecessary strain on our citizens, delays emergency response times, and negatively affects economic activity.”
To address the issue, MP Lewis is urging the Minister responsible for traffic to engage in discussions with her colleague Ministers as the traffic issue can be remedied on an inter ministerial level to implement practical and immediate measures.
These include deploying police officers with the assistance of the VKS at key congested intersections, enforcing regulations requiring buses to use designated bus stops, and improving road design with clearer signage and lane markings.
“In the past we had the control unit regulating the traffic in key traffic congested areas. The resurrection of this department is necessary,” MP Lewis stated.
He also emphasized the importance of promoting public transportation to reduce the number of private vehicles on the road, particularly during peak hours.
“Many Taxi drivers have reached out to me regarding the traffic congestion and some stated, when flights land sometimes there is not enough taxi transportation available at the airport because many drivers are stuck in traffic.”
MP Lewis emphasized that addressing traffic congestion requires urgency, cooperation, and political will. “This is not about placing blame, but about taking responsibility and acting in the best interest of our people and our economy,” he stated.
MP Lewis concluded by calling for decisive government action, noting that failure to act could ultimately harm the country’s reputation and economic stability. “The time to act is now, before the consequences become far more damaging,” he stated.
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