Scooter Delivery

The Justice Ministry’s new rules for scooters and motorbikes on Frontstreet and Backstreet come from a real problem. Scooters have been used as fast getaway vehicles in violent robberies, and that puts both businesses and pedestrians at risk. Minister of Justice Nathalie Tackling has every right, and in fact a duty, to act when public safety is under pressure.

The measure is clear. From Monday to Saturday, between 8:00 am and 6:30 pm, scooters and motorbikes are not allowed on Frontstreet and Backstreet. The same applies on public holidays and late night shopping. The idea is simple, remove the favorite “escape tool” from would-be robbers and make Philipsburg safer and easier to police.

The big question now is how this will actually be enforced. That is not easy in practice, especially in busy streets full of residents, workers and visitors. Perhaps the police already have a strategy and, for obvious reasons, prefer not to explain every detail publicly. People can accept that security has a discreet side.

There is, however, one area where some flexibility may be both reasonable and necessary. Not every scooter in town is part of the problem. Some are part of the solution that keeps small businesses alive. A number of small restaurants operate with a mixed model, serving food on site while also delivering meals to workers in the Philipsburg area. Frontstreet and Backstreet are important for them.

One such business owner explained on Thursday that during the high season, delivery orders increase by roughly 20 percent. Those extra orders come from store workers as well as guests staying in hotels on Frontstreet and Backstreet who often order in lunch and want to sample local food. That extra 20 percent can be the difference between just surviving and having a small cushion to carry the business through slow months after high season is over. In some cases, the business license even lists the company as a restaurant with delivery service, so delivery is not a side hobby, it is part of the legal business model.

If all scooters are treated the same, without any distinction between reckless riders and licensed food delivery operations, the new rule could “solve” one problem by creating another. Safety and security must come first, but the country should be careful not to cripple one honest business while trying to protect others.

This is where the Justice Ministry could consider a narrow exception. For example, registered food delivery services, clearly identified and limited in number, might be granted controlled access during the restricted hours. That could involve visible delivery tags, pre-approved routes, speed limits, or fixed times for drop-offs. How exactly such a system would work in practice is a technical question, and that is exactly why the Minister is surrounded by experts in policing, traffic management and law.

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