MoBay to get more CCTVs
Published:Monday | September 4, 2023 | 12:06 AMJanet Silvera/Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Like the number of traffic lights going up across communities along the outskirts of Montego Bay in St James, the police are currently looking at installing cameras at important crossroads in the Second City to help maintain order and aid crime-fighting efforts.
Dr Horace Chang, minister of national security, told the media during the commissioning of street lights in Norwood, St James, last Friday, that the installation of cameras was being led by the police and should take place over the next 12 months.
He would not disclose the locations, noting only that they would be installed in strategic areas. The streets of Montego Bay are already home to several CCTV units, some in poor condition. Some have helped the police tremendously in solving crimes.
In the meantime, law and order on the streets, particularly in relation to motorists, is being supported by the commissioning of four stoplights and the conversion of Middle Road in Norwood into a one-way street.
On Friday morning, the lights were officially turned on in the communities by Chang; Homer Davis, state minister for national security; Heroy Clarke, the member of parliament for St James Central; Deputy Mayor of Montego Bay Richard Vernon; Councillor Joshua Cummings; and technocrats of the National Works Agency (NWA).
“The development of the signalling system and the improvement of the route started sometime early in the last financial year. The idea was to provide an alternative route than the main road through Howard Cooke around Montego Bay,” said Chang, who is member of parliament for St James North Western, the constituency receiving the traffic lights.
He added that while there was adoption of the perimeter road, which is designed to bring significant relief to traffic moving to Montego Bay, the problem was here and now. The perimeter road is expected to take another 30 months to complete and be driveable.
The congestion around Montego Bay, he admitted, was having significant impact on productivity and was a discomfort for the population.
“So we sought to fix a number of the roads that can get around Montego Bay without going to the town centre.”
The lights have been installed at the intersections of Middle Road and Felicity Road, Felicity and Sun Valley Road, Felicity and Salt Spring Road; Salt Spring Road and Vernon’s Drive, the latter located in in Clarke’s constituency.
The lights are equipped with GPS tags and can be monitored from a distance as well as can be coordinated at the various stops, ensuring smooth traffic through the area, explained Chang.
He said they were forced to put in the lights because it had proven to be difficult for working people to move through Norwood to Sun Valley Road. He is worried that accidents may happen at the intersections if something is not done.
His concerns were echoed by the NWA’s Janell Ricketts, who said these were significant thoroughfares that were highly congested during peak hours.
“Without them (the lights), you will find many of these intersections persons just at a standstill, especially on a Friday evening. So with the lights, it will be a much better flow, much safer for all the persons that traverse this section,” Ricketts added.
According to her, residents of the community were made aware through social media platforms, press releases, and the creation of a map showing the alternative routes and where the lights are commissioned, plus the municipal corporation.
There were, however, concerns from at least one resident who said she and her neighbours had not been alerted to the changes, particularly Middle Road being converted into a one-way street.
Another concern was related to the condition of the alternative route, the Paradise Norwood main road, which would now be used to accommodate more traffic but which had parts that were in very poor condition and could defeat the purpose of a more efficient traffic flow.
Both Ricketts and Chang said a number of the roads had been rehabilitated to meet the changes, but it was still work in progress.
“That road is under review for early fixing,” said Chang.