THE EDITOR,
RECENTLY, I heard a Minister talking about implementing a system to encourage drivers to use secondary roads during busy periods. This is ridiculous.
The issue with drivers using secondary roads in St. Lucia is that they are not used all the way to the final destination but instead are used as a quick means of bypassing a traffic jam only for a few yards before returning to that same traffic jam.
A good example is those drivers, including bus drivers who are legally obliged to stay on the main roads, who leave the highway near Computer World in Bois d’Orange and then rejoin at the Marisule gap that leads to Windward Island Gases. Such a move further exacerbates the situation since drivers who stayed on the highway constantly need to stop to give those selfish drivers space to rejoin the highway.
It has been announced that the Bois d’Orange bypass will be reopened soon to the motoring public. This makes no sense at all since it will lead to the same problem which was mentioned above in which drivers will now leave the highway at an earlier point and rejoin the traffic at the Windward Island Gases gap near Marisule.
What we need along that stretch are traffic cops managing the traffic at that Marisule gap as well as the Grande Riviere gap. It might also be wise to restrict vehicles coming from the direction of Castries from entering Glace Motors between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.
My suggestions are simple but will surely be of more benefit than to reopen the Bois d’Orange bypass. In fact, that Bois d’Orange bypass should be left as it is and only be opened in emergencies when there is an accident in that area.
Jonathan
Very appropriate and common sense I must say is this commentary. One does not have to be a highway engineer to have common road sense. I had planned to make a similar comment but there is no need for it now. Bravo Jonathan!
Having stated this, what’s bothering me is the fact that monies as well as a well designed highway plan (by professionals) was waiting in government’s coffers to help implementation of this highway which was supposed to be “urgent”. Heaven knows why no action has been taken.
Perhaps this is the time to look at other alternatives if for some reason the plan was aborted; but using by-pass roads, I will reiterate, is not the answer.