Careless crossing

Pedestrians, cyclists continue to breach rules

Sheldon Williams, Gleaner Writer

Deputy Superintendent of Police in charge of administration at the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Traffic Division, Gary McKenzie, has urged persons employed to companies located along roads such as Marcus Garvey Drive to use the designated overhead bridges at all times. "I'm sure many of us have seen persons trying to cross the Marcus Garvey Drive at various times, but there is actually an overhead crossing there. Even though persons have complained that it is not near to where their workplace is, it is actually impossible to please everyone," McKenzie said.

"The overhead pedestrian bridge has to be at a central point and, if you look along that roadway, there are actually several business places that everybody has to go to. A bridge like that cannot be built every 10, 20 metres, so we are encouraging everyone to use the bridge."

On December 8, 2010, Joan Gooden, a supervisor at Kingston Wharves, was killed after she exited a bus along the Portmore leg of the highway and attempted to cross the highway. According to reports, the incident occurred shortly before 9 a.m. when Gooden was on her way to work from Portmore. She was hit by a white Honda Integra, which was also travelling from Portmore. She died on the spot. In July of the same year, 37-year-old Karen Barnes, who was employed as a clerk, was killed while attempting to cross the road in the vicinity of the Tinson Pen Aerodrome.

"We have to improve our discipline if we are going to reduce these crashes," the DSP insisted.

Adrian Brown, manager of corporate communications at Kingston Container Terminal, one of the businesses close to Marcus Garvey Drive, told The Gleaner that staff members continue to be unhappy with having to cross the thoroughfare, which has a concrete barrier in the middle. "It has been a concern of our staff for quite some time. Concerns have been and are being expressed by our staff, specifically regarding the high risk experienced in attempting to traverse the busy thoroughfare. The staff believes that this may be directly related to the inconvenient location of the existing overhead bridge," Brown said.

Highway 2000 fatalities

Pedestrians and pedal cyclists continue to put their lives at risk by crossing busy highways. According to statistics from the JCF Traffic Division, 12 pedestrians have been killed along Highway 2000 since 2005. The latest victim was killed in January, after he was hit while attempting to cross the Portmore leg of the highway. The highest number of pedestrian fatalities along the highway in a calendar year was three in 2010, while two pedestrian deaths were recorded in 2012. One pedestrian was killed each year in 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013 and so far in 2014.

There has been one fatal collision involving a pedal cyclist, that occurring in 2011.

Despite repeated warnings, pedestrians and pedal cyclists routinely breach the safety advisory that restricts them from using the highway.

McKenzie told The Gleaner that pedestrians and pedal cyclists who breach the regulations can be charged. "There ought not to be any pedestrians or pedal cyclists on the toll highway. It is actually an offence, for which persons can be arrested. The road itself is to be kept as sterile as possible and used by vehicles alone. So when persons attempt to cross the highway, apart from it being unlawful it is actually a very dangerous practice, something that we encourage pedestrians and pedal cyclists not to do," DSP McKenzie said.

crash increase

He explained that the possibility of a crash is increased, as it is a high-speed environment. "The normal speeds on the regular roads are 50 km and 80 km (or 30 miles and 50 miles) per hour. On the toll highway in some areas we have 70 kph. That is what you would term the low-speed aspect, which is on the highway in Portmore. However, on the other side from Nelson Mandela heading to Glenmuir in Clarendon, the speed limit is is 110 kph, so it is really incumbent on persons to use that roadway with some amount of care. And we want to be very loud in encouraging pedal cyclists and pedestrians not to use it," McKenzie said.

Drivers of public-passenger vehicles who make stops along the highway to let off passengers can also face legal repercussions. "They can be charged for either letting off or taking up passengers at a place other than a bus stop, or not stopping at a bus stop in other instances. And where it is done in a way where it is careless or may cause obstruction, or they stop at a dangerous point, there are other charges than can be administered," McKenzie explained.