Tata, the Bus Driver

Belvedere, Sint Maarten

There is a roundabout in the West Indies that honours a bus driver who enforced strict rules on the school route.

Near the border of Saint Martin, on a nondescript roundabout in the Dutch half of Sint Maarten, there is a statue of Jean-Frederique Brooks. He was a bus driver who used to run the school route and keep mischievous students under control.

Brooks' roundabout has statues of Alexander Lionald Richardson and Florian Eulalie Duzanson. Richardson was a butcher who was said to have fathered 42 children, some of whom may have ridden on Tata's bus. Duzanson was a baker who provided free treats to those who couldn't afford them. At the official unveiling in 2009, many of their relatives were in attendance.

Although all three people being commemorated have passed away, their statues still stand tall and proud for modern-day drivers to appreciate. The authorities on the island consider them to be folk heroes. Of the three figures, Tata's is the most memorable since it depicts him holding a steering wheel, symbolizing his skill in manoeuvring the bus around the island's roads.