Back-to-school traffic jitters …Commuters brace for challenges Legacy Project will cause; plead with authorities to urgently complete road upgrades
Published:Sunday | September 1, 2019 | 12:00 AMKaryl Walker - Gleaner Writer
Parents, school administrators, and motorists in general are jittery that come tomorrow morning, at the start of back-to-school, the still-incomplete roadworks across the Corporate Area will cause unbearable traffic delays.
However, Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson is pledging that although delays can be expected, plans are in place to keep traffic flowing, especially in areas where diverting motorists to alternative routes will not be possible.
The public is forced to endure another agonising wait for the completion of the upgrades of Hagley Park Road, Three Miles (Portia Simpson Miller Square), Constant Spring Road, Barbican Road, and Camp Road being carried out by China Harbour Engineering Company.
Missing yet another deadline for finishing the Legacy Project, the National Works Agency (NWA) is now implementing temporary measures to try and alleviate some of the challenges that commuters will face this week.
During the course of last week, the NWA sent out a number of advisories regarding the changes that should aid with the traffic flow.
But this was little consolation for Lindsay ‘Oney’ Martin, who runs a route taxi along Constant Spring Road to Half-Way Tree.
“Those plans only going to make things worse. They should have done fix the roads long time. We suffering on Constant Spring Road,” Martin told The Sunday Gleaner.
BUSY AT WORK
Portia Simpson Miller Square, where the St Andrew South Police Headquarters is located, is especially problematic for many.
Operations Officer for the police Area Four, which encompasses the St Andrew South Division, Senior Superintendent Steve McGregor says that while the upcoming week will present a challenge, the NWA has promised that by tomorrow morning, major roadwork will have been completed, and commuting will be easier for the start of the school year.
“They have assured me that they will erect proper signage and that the roads will be fixed for back-to-school. However, we will still have increased visibility presence and will do all we can to ensure that traffic flows as smoothly as it can,” he said.
As McGregor spoke to The Sunday Gleaner on Thursday, workmen were busy, but it was still a huge task getting from Marcus Garvey Drive to his Hunts Bay Police Station headquarters. And along Hagley Park Road, there are bottlenecks at several intersections caused by unruly motorists.
“People will have to leave their homes extra early,” McGregor said.
NO PENALTY FOR STUDENTS
At least one school has moved to work with students and staff who may be affected by the impending delays.
Acting Principal of Wolmer’s Boys School Dwight Pennycooke told The Sunday Gleaner that with the expected delays, the school’s administration was not planning to penalise students or members of staff who arrive late during the period of roadwork.
According to the school’s policy, students who are late four times within a 20-day period are liable for suspension.
“We have a lateness policy but have had to relax that quite a bit. We have had to be very lenient with our students and staff members; however, we hope that we won’t have to be doing that for much longer as discipline is at the forefront of the agenda for schools but more so at Wolmer’s. But we know we cannot be too rigid,” Pennycooke stated.
Head of the Wolmer’s Boys Parent-Teacher Association Rohan Phillips encouraged parents to consider car-pooling to help ease the congestion.
“Even outside of the roadworks, we actively support car-pooling. In addition, commuters should leave their homes extra early to battle the issues caused by the roadwork,” he said.
Acting permanent secretary in the education ministry Dr Grace McLean says that the ministry fully supports the move by schools to use discretion and be lenient with students who may be late due to challenges caused by the roadworks.