Chad Bryan, Gleaner Writer

Negotiating the notoriously difficult Wellington Drive/Mona Road intersection, as well as crossing the normally busy main road in Liguanea to and from the US Embassy, is now easier. New traffic lights installed by the National Works Agency (NWA) have been activated recently, regulating what had been a free-for-all situation.

However, although traffic lights have been installed in Papine, at the end of Hope Road close to the main gate of the University of Technology, Jamaica, they are yet to be activated. This intersection is key to getting to and from a number of academic institutions in the area. These include the HEART Trust/NTA facility on Gordon Town Road and the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus. It is also part of the route to the University Hospital of the West Indies' main gate.

NOTORIOUS

The area is notorious for unruly taxi operators impeding the traffic flow.

Manager of communications and customer service at the NWA, Stephen Shaw, explained that these changes were necessary to protect road users.

"The changes in these areas were occasioned by the high pedestrian and vehicular volumes, which caused conflicts and were posing serious dangers to road users. In the case of the Embassy we have persons who go to use the facility, but, more importantly, we have scores of young children of the nearby school in Standpipe who have to cross the road daily. They needed an easy access," Shaw said.

Those lights are pedestrian controlled.

MORE LIGHTS

The traffic situation in these areas had resulted in several road users calling for traffic lights to be established, Shaw confirmed. During UWI Mona's academic year, before the lights were installed, evening traffic backed up a long way on Wellington Drive. Motorists wishing to turn from Wellington Road on to Mona Road should now have an easier time.

"The changes should result in significant improvements, especially the safety factor at these locations," Shaw said.