Diego residents want walkover now

RISKY CROSSING: Pedestrians cross the Diego Martin Highway at the Four Roads intersection. There have been calls for a walkover in the area.
RISKY CROSSING: Pedestrians cross the Diego Martin Highway at the Four Roads intersection. There have been calls for a walkover in the area.

Facilitated by the Movement for Social Justice, (MSJ), leader David Abdulah brought residents of Four Roads, Diego Martin, to highlight their everyday plight and dangers having to cross the Diego Martin Highway at the Four Roads intersection.

Since the opening of the Diego Martin Highway Expansion Project (DMHEP) in August 2014, several lives have been lost, including Ricky “Isasha” Phillip, the son of veteran calypsonian, Valentino (Emrold Phillip) in 2015, and even more serious accidents, one of the very first involving popular soca artiste, Kimba Sorzano in October 2014.

Resident Everton Brian Roberts, living in the area for the past 63 years, told of his 65-year-old friend who was knocked down last December.

With grave concern in his voice, he said the railing of the island at the centre of the highway intersection was ploughed down on Friday night by a motorcar. “That is the problem we are having since August 2014, when the highway was open. We had many meetings about it, but only getting a runaround. We want to know how many more must die before we get the construction of this walkover.”

The highway extension project was opened by the People’s Partnership government by then Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Works and Transport Ministers Suruj Rambachan and Stacy Roopnarine in 2014.

Roberts said when Fitzgerald Hinds took over as minister in September 2015, they also had meetings with him, MP Darryl Smith and former director of highways, Roger Ganesh, but still no action was taken.

Margaret Bernard, living in the area for 65 years, said she met people who are very intimidated by this highway, among them schoolchildren, while some, she said, choose to take a taxi that operates from just off the Diego Martin Main Road, because they just don’t want to cross the highway.

“When they build this highway they were not thinking about pedestrians. I have a friend who got killed crossing this road.”

She also told of drivers making illegal turns for short cuts.

“We who are walking have to pay the price for those drivers who are doing nonsense and that to me is not good at all because we matter too. Not only those who are driving. We have to cross this road on a daily basis. So we want no more promises, we want action now because people are dying. Lives matter and we need them to do something about this.”

Another resident for 59 years, Marcia Charles, said she is scared every day.

“It is very dangerous for children from the Four Roads Government Primary School and the elderly people who have to cross the highway,” said Charles. She too said there were delinquent drivers who make illegal turns at the intersection, causing pedestrians to sprint to the other side of the highway or they can be killed.

Lifelong resident Roland Monderoy said, “On the island where pedestrians usually stand up waiting to cross, a vehicle ended up there Saturday morning at 1 o’clock, licking down the barriers. Last year February, a child, Elijah Samuel, was knocked down coming from school. “Darryl Smith promised last year February, that work would have commenced on the walkover in April 2017 and finish in December and up to now nothing.”

MSJ leader David Abdulah said, “We can’t put a value on people’s lives we are demanding that the walkover be constructed now.”

A release from the Ministry of Works and Transport,issued yesterday, said construction of an overpass across the Diego Martin Highway has been included as part of its programme of works for fiscal 2018/2019. The release said the ministry was now in its consultation phase with stakeholders, including MP Smith and all residents.

It is proposed that the western and eastern portion of the overpass will be located in the vicinity of Morne Coco Road and the highway.

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"Diego residents want walkover now"

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