By Johnny Coomansingh
For whatever reasons, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, prime minster of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) labelled the country as a “lawless dump.” It is not my prerogative to say yes or no to her statement, but here are some notes I found in the dailies. There are many who would want to repudiate the claim that T&T is actually how the prime minister described the country. In the same breath, she assured citizens that her government would work assiduously to clean up T&T for everyone’s benefit. We have to wait and see whether this could be a reality.
The facts are the facts. January has not yet closed, but we already have the horrendous news on Ian Alleyne’s Crime Watch that there are 29 murders in T&T, an average of one murder per day. In terms of global ranking, various reports (2023-2025) frequently place T&T around the 6th – 8th position in global crime indices; a severe crisis indeed. In the regional context, T&T is considered one of the most dangerous countries in the Caribbean, sitting alongside countries like Jamaica and Honduras in high-crime rankings. The annual T&T pre-Lenten carnival is at the doorstep. It is my hope and prayer that the celebration would be crime and murder free.
Published in Newsday (28/01/2026), in his article ‘PM: Trinidad and Tobago has become a lawless dump,’ Sheldon Lewis wrote:
“The country has no order, it’s become a lawless dump and it’s because of the entitled attitudes of some citizens who believe they can do whatever they want while inconveniencing others without consequences. And these entitled citizens span across all demographics and sectors of society.”
According to Lewis, the prime minister was responding to questions about “whether government was killing two birds with one stone by doubling traffic fines to improve road safety while also raising revenue for the country…Persad-Bissessar said her objective is to “improve the lives of law-abiding citizens who go out every day and try to live a good and decent life.”
The prime minister recognised that there were a whole lot of citizens that have been taken advantage of for far too long. She added: “Citizens are free to live as foolhardy as they want, including ‘free to drive recklessly, smoke ganja, drink rum, gamble, misbehave, mash up the place, play loud music and live however they want.” Nevertheless, she maintained that people all have personal choices, but all choices have consequences.
In her discourse, the People’s National Movement (PNM), the present opposition, came in for some heavy criticism stating that this political party does not foster the best interest of their supporters. She added some stinging observations:
“They seem to harbor no great ambitions for their supporters or citizens. I was shocked when the first thing their leader spoke of in the budget was the price of rum. Is that what she believes is important to PNM supporters and citizens, instead of healthcare, education, security and sustainable jobs? The PNM has supported giving ganja to young people instead of laptops, encouraged rum drinking and gambling, defended Venezuelan human traffickers and drug smugglers, and fought against citizens defending themselves in their own homes. They believe citizens want to be grass cutters and street sweepers instead of having sustainable jobs where they can afford a decent home and life. PNM Members of Parliament don’t support those negative things for their own children and families, but support it for citizens.”
As a senior driver/commuter on the roads of Trinidad what I have noticed is that many rules and regulations are broken hands down! There are drivers who deliberately break the law! I have been cursed with expletives, edged out when in line, and given the ‘middle finger’ as though I was wrong. Many drivers cannot wait. These drivers are always in a hurry, going nowhere fast. My ex-father-in-law once said to me that “hurry and worry” are the two main killers on the road. They push themselves from secondary roads to the main roads, disregard the regulations and force you to stop with ‘the bounce mih nah attitude.’ Some nights ago, I was riding the public transport bus home when the bus driver had to honk his horn several times. A driver ‘flew’ out of a side road like a ‘bat out of hell’, totally ignoring the oncoming bus. What a life of recklessness!
In the Sunday Express (30/12/2025) story, ‘PNM ‘creating mischief, ’Roger Alexander, minister of homeland security, added his two cents’ worth. The article informed that he has acknowledged public objections to the recently announced increase in traffic fines, but did not hesitate to add:
“Some people are making an issue with the increase in road traffic offences, but they are missing the point that they pay these things if they disobey the law…this can only happen if you commit an offence. Talk to the people who have lost loved ones to accidents caused by people who were drunk or driving recklessly…the lawlessness simply cannot continue.”
Rishi Ragoonath, in his article: ‘Sando Mayor rejects ‘lawless dump’ label’ published in the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian (02/01/2026), Robert Parris, the mayor of the Borough of San Fernando, mentioned:
“… significant improvements to public order can be achieved without language he believes diminishes the country, as debate continues over how local authorities should address indiscipline and enforcement…while I fully accept that there are serious issues affecting discipline, enforcement and public behaviour, I do not agree that the use of language which diminishes our country or places blame in a politically charged manner serves the national interest.”
My peer-reviewed article: ‘The Tourism Product Rotting Away in Trinidad and Tobago published in the Pakistan Journal of Criminology (24/01/2019) stated:
“Apart from the dilapidated conditions of many roads, road signs, bridges and barriers , especially in rural areas, many historic buildings are left to rot away and crumble to the ground. Dangerous landslides are everywhere. After heavy rains, muddy water and debris rush down the hillsides of the Northern Range to Port of Spain and other cities below. Many beaches are littered with garbage left by beachgoers. Traffic jams are ceaseless and lines at
public and private places such as banks are unending. Coupled with these yet tolerable factors, Trinidad and Tobago is experiencing an unprecedented crime problem. Murders are occurring on a daily basis, and banditry and police corruption are rampant in the system.
Illegal drug running remains an extremely serious problem on the landscape.”
‘Trinidad is nice. Trinidad is a paradise, a slogan that’s worth its weight in gold, did not hold true in 2025 and certainly will not hold true in 2026 with the way things are shaping up. My article, way back in 2019, seems to be prophetic in terms of crime. It is pellucid that T&T needs an overhaul. There is a need to address the ‘potholes’ literally and symbolically, and the problems in our society. In this once oil-rich country, the population keeps wondering “Whe the money gone?” Rumour has it that there is a level of corruption in T&T as nasty as the Aegean Stables. The termites are now coming out of the woodwork and the citizens are beginning to visualize that many government personnel and members of parliament have attracted immense sums of the country’s money to themselves and their relatives. One senator referred to this activity as the ‘Contract Mafia.” Look at this from my article:
“Although Trinidad is blessed with huge asphalt deposits, many roads, especially in the rural areas, are riddled with potholes and landslides. The surfaces of sidewalks, even in the capital city, Port of Spain, are cracked, broken and irregular in surface. There are places where sidewalk manholes are unevenly covered or left open with a piece of timber protruding out to apparently warn the pedestrian…bridges, barriers and road signs are in dire need of repair and replacement… apart from the poor roads, the hostility of drivers on such narrow roads leaves
much to be desired in terms of road safety…noise pollution is another aberration in the society. Noisy vehicles with their huge speakers constantly pierce the silence of residential districts at all hours of the day and night. Some of these drivers speed at 100 to 120 kilometres per hour in residential areas.
“Historic buildings are forgotten, abandoned, and sadly left to rot away. Due to uncontrolled squatting, the steep hillsides of the Northern Range become denuded. Flash flooding with the attendant deposition of mud and debris plagues Port of Spain, Curepe, Tunapuna, Saint Augustine and several other cities on the East-West Corridor… People seeking shelter continue to squat, even in forbidden areas such as the Aripo Savannah, a government forest reserve earmarked for scientific study…”
Personally, I do not disagree with the label of “lawless dump,” and I do not disagree with the increased rates of traffic fines. I am of the understanding that driving without valid motor vehicle insurance in Trinidad and Tobago can result in a $10,000 fine. This gargantuan fine might seem draconian, but who pays for the damages if the driver in question has no insurance coverage? According to the article by Abraham Diaz: ‘TTPS urges compliance as new traffic fines take effect,’ published in the T&T Guardian (January 01, 2026), “…drivers arrested for DUI offences face fines of up to $24,000 for a first offence and up to $45,000 for a second.”
In the Holy Bible, it states: “And Samuel said, hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams” (1 Samuel 15:22). How many drivers in T&T know this text? The government of the country requires obedience to the law of the land. Period! I have no problem with that! Nevertheless, serious attention must be given to our roadways, and highways. Our roads are riddled with potholes! I am of the view that drivers/commuters should have a better driving experience in T&T. We deserve better!
Could you imagine that Trinidad has about 99 acres of asphalt? Could you imagine that T&T has every type of road-building material at its disposal? The potholes, humps, bumps, and lumps on our roads are a crime against the citizenry. Is the government lawless? Earlier today, I posted on Facebook that ‘Workers Against Smooth Asphalt’ have struck again. The Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) left an evil and nasty trench across Antigua Road just before the Valencia Bypass.
Why can’t they fill the trenches after digging? WASA is guilty! What is their real problem? Is it ‘lawlessness on the part of WASA?’ It has been said in T&T that if you see something, say something. I hope this article tells it as it is.
Here’s what R. Trestrail said in his editorial, ‘What makes TT a ‘lawless dump?” in Newsday (January 01, 2026) couldn’t have said it better:
“Start with the overgrown roadsides. Add the garbage strewn across the country. Then the unsightly mounds of discarded tyres, construction debris, coconut shells, and household waste dumped with impunity. And the unkempt and unhealthy dump sites at Beetham, Forres Park and Aripo. Consider also the so-called “PH” cars operating openly as taxis, transporting uninsured and unprotected passengers outside the law and without consequence. In short, it is the tolerance of illegality at every level – illegal dumping, illegal transport, illegal occupations – all quietly allowed to flourish so that no segment of the voter base is offended or alienated. In short, the last ten years are the main reason for our rapid descent into a “lawless dump.”
I close with a statement from Scarlet Benois-Selman in her article, ‘Lawless: dysfunction under misguided power’ (Sunday Express 04/01/2026): “Parliament and the nation are inseparable. If the country is lawless, lawmakers must be interrogated first. Authority without accountability breeds exactly what it condemns.”
Since before Christmas 2025, this evil, sneaky, and dangerous pothole has been there on the Churchill Roosevelt Highway (CRH) just before the Antigua Road turnoff. It seems that government officials do not travel on this road or prefer to cross over the white line at the risk of an accident.
