The consensus from the establishment pundits suggests the Mottley government has performed well post the so called Lost Decade. Of course this blogmaster is not a member of the establishment thinking and tends to evaluate performance using a holistic approach. Not everything should be evaluated based on metrics determined by economics.
Three exhibits that the blogmaster identifies as institutionalised indiscipline are: the inability of the authorities to enforce the so called TINT LAWS. Prior to December 2025, when the amended Road Traffic (Amendment) Act was introduced, there was strident debate in Barbados about the introduction of a tint policy, a policy which encouraged law abiding citizens to spend hundreds of dollars to remove “non‑compliant tint” from vehicles.
Almost a year later and it is like nothing happened. There is a business‑as‑usual attitude with motorists zooming about, some compliant and some not. The government and the Barbados Police Service (BPS) seem unconcerned after all the tint hullabaloo. One suspects this tint matter will be another “stillborn” affair, not unlike the forgotten breathalyser testing that was first touted in 2017.
The second – is the use of cannabis in public spaces. At last check, the recreational use of cannabis was decriminalised for small personal amounts rather than fully legalised. The Drug Abuse (Prevention and Control) Act states that up to 14 grams or half an ounce is decriminalised. Although decriminalised, if caught with up to 14 grams, the penalty is $200.00, payable within 30 days. If caught with more than 14 grams the usual law applies, which could translate to serving years in prison or heavy fines.
Daily as we move around Barbados, open use of cannabis is observed – people walking, driving or working. There is no fear of being seen or reported to the BPS. One does not have to see the physical act of puffing or eating the stuff; the pungent scent is evidence.
And the third – in 2017 the Road Traffic (Amendment) Regulations Act was enacted making it illegal to hold, talk on, text, or browse on a handheld device while driving a vehicle. Take a bet any day of the week that you will spot enough drivers using handheld phones while driving and you will win.
As we move quickly towards 60 years of independence and 5 years since being a republic, we must ask if we are happy about the current state of affairs in Barbados. The once orderly society that separated Barbados from our neighbours is as dead as a dodo.
Any government that consistently fails to enforce laws will trigger a domino effect in the way being experienced in Barbados. Essentially what we have created in Barbados is institutionalised indiscipline. Many continue to demand that Barbados leverage some best practices from Singapore. Of interest former Governor of the Central Bank DeLisle Worrell recently opined that Iceland should be the preferred model – The Model For Caribbean Is Iceland, Not Singapore. What is obvious is that the success of Singapore and Iceland is underpinned by disciplined approaches. There can be no shortcut to discipline.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.