BRSA to protest against Barbados Sugar and Rum season
THE just launched Barbados Sugar and Rum Season is meeting with strong opposition from the Barbados Road Safety Association (BRSA), which intends to stage protests against the State-sponsored initiative and push for breathalyser testing to become law in this country.
President of the BRSA, Sharmane Roland-Bowen, contended that at the heart of the action will be to educate locals and visitors alike about the dangers of alcohol and that there is no drink driving legislation on the statute books. Moreover, she has told The Barbados Advocate that in light of the Barbados Sugar and Rum Season coming on stream, the BRSA will be sending correspondence to Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Richard Sealy, as early as this week, to get his support for the breathalyser and requisite legislation.
“My appeal to him is to ensure that the safety of the visitors that come to this country is a priority when it comes to road use. Our goal is not to prevent persons from drinking alcohol, but we don’t want them, or any Barbadian for that matter to drink alcohol and then get behind the wheel of a vehicle. Nor do we want them to be transported by someone who is under the influence of alcohol,” she stated.
Sealy will make the fifth Minister of Government that the BRSA will be lobbying as part of their ‘War on Drink Driving’ Campaign, which was launched at the end of last month, to ensure that no one is driving under the influence on our nation’s roads. At the time of the launch, Roland-Bowen said that she intended to send correspondence to Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Freundel Stuart, who is also Head of the Barbados National Road Safety Council; as well as Attorney General, Adriel Brathwaite; the Minister of Transport and Works, Michael Lashley; and Minister of Health, John Boyce. Moreover, she said that as part of the campaign, the Association intends to go first into the constituencies of those Members of Parliament, seeking to garner support for the cause, before extending the campaign island wide.
“They say this is a democracy, we have the right and freedom to lobby for a cause and we have the right to protest, peacefully protest, and that is what we intend to do. We are fighting for the safety of our people, especially our children and grandchildren and our visitors. We are urging members of the public to join with us and help to fight this war on drink driving, and do as our slogan says and ‘Stand Up For Safety’,” she maintained. (JRT)