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After an initial high-level meeting held in November 2025 on the theme of tourism, the president of the territorial council invited the public to join him at the Collectivité hotel in Gustavia on Tuesday, February 3, to discuss security and mobility. However, attendance was lower than for the first "territorial meetings."
On the official side, President Lédée was accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel Loyez, commander of the gendarmerie of Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy, Captain Laurens, commander of the Territorial Fire and Rescue Service, and a few socio-professionals. Among the elected officials, only Mélissa Lake, Fabrice Querrard, and Alexandra Questel were present.
After an introduction by Xavier Lédée, who highlighted the changes made to the island's security in recent years (300 surveillance cameras, the smart border project, etc.), Lieutenant Colonel Loyez emphasized the increased presence of the gendarmerie in the field and a "good" 2025 report. He noted that the development of video surveillance on the island has helped improve the resolution rate of certain cases. The importance of filing complaints for victims of all types of crimes was reiterated several times.
18,484 vehicles on the road
Mélissa Dorvilma, president and instructor at the driving school of the same name, notes that insecurity and incivility are part of her daily life on the road. She mentions a meeting with the commander of the Saint Barth gendarmerie and a technical services agent in 2024 that led to improved safety on certain roads. This was achieved through the installation of mirrors, among other measures. "Unfortunately, the technical services representative has changed, and for almost a year now, all my follow-up emails have gone unanswered," she laments. "And yet there are many things that are wrong on the road. We explain the law to students, but many things are not up to code. In some places, there are no signs. The 30 km/h zone at the entrance to Gustavia has not been reinstated. So legally, it's 50 km/h."
Other transport-related topics are discussed, such as the experimental shuttle service between Saint-Jean and Gustavia. The plan to extend it to Lorient and Saline is mentioned. The number of vehicles registered on the island (18,485 in total, including 5,599 two- and three-wheelers and 8,636 private vehicles, according to figures cited by Xavier Lédée) is also discussed. "We cannot continue to increase the number of vehicles indefinitely," notes the president. "We must be able to change things to have an island that functions better." He specifies, however, that for the time being, the Collectivité "has no control over imports." In the discussion thread under the video broadcast live on Facebook by the Collectivité, Senator Micheline Jacques comments: "The organic law allows us to regulate the number of car rental companies and the number of vehicles per rental company. We have jurisdiction over road traffic. We have the leverage of dock dues, which allow us to significantly increase dock dues on large vehicles."
The landslides that have occurred in recent months also raise questions. It should be noted that a geotechnical study was carried out by the BRGM (Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières - JSB No. 1648). However, the sensitive areas identified on private land may pose problems. "We need to find the right solutions," says Xavier Ledee.
On the subject of accessibility, one issue is quickly raised: the failure to comply with parking spaces reserved for people with disabilities. But also the difficulty, if not impossibility, of renting a wheelchair. "The Tiralo beach wheelchair available at Public was purchased by the Handi-Relais association," explains Manuella Lédée online. Similarly, as the educational farm is not accessible to people with reduced mobility, the Handi-Relais association has provided visitors with an all-terrain wheelchair."
The content of the various regional meetings will be transcribed in a white paper, according to the Collectivité.
