Since the 1er August, each driver who has to go to the French part with professional documents must be patient and have air conditioning in working order on pain of syncope.
Under a blazing and windless sun, a team of two gendarmes regulates the incoming traffic as best they can. Another team on standby takes over at regular intervals because the heat is appalling at the moment and the risks of sunstroke are real.
However, despite the traffic currently reduced to professional and medical trips, the car line is very long and it takes no less than 45 minutes to cover the 600 meters that separate the border from the checkpoint. Or if we count 6 meters per car with the spaces that makes a line of a hundred cars, plus those on the other side of the border. If we do a quick calculation, 45 minutes to check 100 cars is a little less than 30 seconds per vehicle on average. Note that U-turns are very rare so everyone seems to be in order.
A slowness due, according to the controllers, to the time taken by the drivers to present their documents when their turn arrives.
This very long wait is certainly a deterrent for many people who prefer to stay at home rather than go to work.
A new penalization of the economy of Saint-Martin, already bloodless after the sudden events of the past 3 years.
We do not know if the staff will be increased and if the controllers will be able to work in the shade, under a tent or parasols on pedestals for example. This would also allow motorists to save fuel and reduce pollution, especially now that the wind is non-existent.
Note that if you are a pedestrian or a jogger you can come and go freely without control on either side of the border.
The Border Police (PAF) which does not have enough staff to control the two borders according to what we have been told, takes care of the border from Belleplaine to Quartier d'Orléans with a staff of 3 officers who take turns every 8 hours or so.
They are a little less hot on their side because their hierarchy installed fans powered by EDF, which was able to quickly install a connection. Motorists are even kind enough to bring them cold drinks and cakes, they told us.
A word of advice not to wait too long. Try to pass by 7:45 am in the morning and have your papers handy when checking out. On the Terres-Basses side, cars do not pass, pedestrians do.
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