Negril main road users crying out for street lights

WESTERN BUREAU:

Commuters who use the four-mile stretch of roadway from Orange Bay to the resort town of Negril in Hanover say that traversing the corridor at night is a major challenge as navigating the dark is not only bothersome, but also dangerous.

According to residents in the neighbouring communities of Green Island and Orange Bay, where the vast majority of the workers in Negril live, the absence of street lights makes driving difficult and exposes passengers to danger when they disembark public transportation at night.

"Because of the darkness, motorists often drive with bright lights, and that is challenging to vehicles coming from the opposite direction and persons who are trying to walk across the road," said a hospitality worker who uses the roadway daily. "Using this road is quite dangerous at night."

To compound the problem, there are also reports that a number of unsuspecting travellers, who slow down to better navigate the darkness, have been robbed. That has caused some motorists to be reluctant to offer assistance to other motorists who might have a problem.

It is against this background that stakeholders in the parish are calling for the administrators of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) to invest some of their funds into giving the area a proper facelift, including the installation of street lights.

"There are some 10 major hotels that are located within the parish of Hanover, eight of which, along with a number of small tourism properties, are located in the Negril area," said Marvell Sewell, the councillor for the Green Island division in the Hanover Municipal Corporation. "I think the entrance to go into Negril, coming from the airport, leaving Orange Bay, should be more attractive.

"I am wondering if the tourists who stay in Negril do not pay the tax that the TEF gets for operations," continued Sewell. "'The 'Elegant Corridor' in Rose Hall, St James, is well-lit with street lights."

USE SOLAR LIGHTING

Sewell is suggesting that the Hanover strip from Orange Bay to Negril could be lit with solar lighting. According to him, the Jamaica Public Service Company has said that it cannot install regular street lights along that corridor as it has no secondary wiring in that area.

"I know the TEF is supposed to do things like those, so as a tourist area, I expect the TEF to work there to the benefit of the residents of Hanover and tourism," said Sewell.

Taxi operator Tom Atkinson, who plies the Lucea to Negril route, told The Gleaner that he transports tourism workers to and from work in Negril on a daily basis and is very scared when traversing the Orange Bay to Negril roadway at night.

"I pray not to get a flat tire on that stretch during the night as no one is going to stop and help you at that time," said Atkinson.