Roundabout welcome
he Government, and in particular the Ministry of Transport, Works and Maintenance is getting a thumbs up from the local road safety association, which is commending it for the steps being taken to improve one of the dangerous road junctions in this country.
Reflecting on the installation of a new traffic light system at the junction of Westmoreland and Highway 2A, President of the Barbados Road Safety Association (BRSA), Sharmane Roland-Bowen said the association is pleased to see that something is finally being done at that intersection to help ensure the safety of all road users.
“We are happy to see that they are doing something and not just sitting by. That road has been in desperate need of safety improvements and we will wait to see what other locations are identified to be addressed. The fact is that a measure like this is long overdue,” she contended.
Roland-Bowen noting the dangers posed by the junction over the years, is calling on the Ministry, after it has installed the traffic lights system, to conduct an evaluation to see if it is getting the desired results. Should that not be the case, the road safety advocate insisted that the Ministry must not be afraid to make any changes if they should find that the measure is not working. That, she said, includes putting in a roundabout.
Her comments came as she said there are a number of other areas that need to be looked at by the Ministry and she is urging officials there, to move with alacrity to address them. She made the point while referring to the Brighton/Lower Greys junction, which she maintains needs better lighting and proper road markings put in. Additionally, she said that Government should consider putting either a roundabout of traffic lights at the junction as well, noting that that area has also been the site of many serious accidents over the years.
Turning her attention to road repairs, the road safety advocate said she is looking forward to seeing more of that type of work commence as well.
“We know also that the Ministry is to repair some of the roads, which too is long overdue and we are looking forward to that. A number of roads are due for rehabilitation, the fact is that many of our roads are in a state of disrepair and have been for quite some time,” she indicated.
She made the comments while noting that road infrastructure also plays an important part in maintaining the safety on our roads. With that in mind, she is urging the Ministry not to leave out the pedestrians, and ensure wherever possible that they can facilitate the provision of crosswalks and the construction of proper sidewalks on which pedestrians can safely manoeuvre.
“A number of our roads still need pedestrians crossing to enhance the safety of persons seeking to cross our roads, and pavements are critical in ensuring that pedestrians do not have to walk in the path of oncoming traffic and battle with motorists,” she stated. (JRT)