Crazy Curepe corners

Prof Ramesh Deosaran

Crazy. A synonym for insane or mad, the word “crazy” means “unrestrained, extremely enthusiastic, foolish,” (Concise Oxford). Crazy people become reckless and a danger to themselves and others.

If you doubt this, spend about 15 minutes at the congested corners of the Southern Main Road (SMR), Priority Bus Route (PBR) and the Eastern Main Road (EMR) at Curepe – all known as the Curepe Junction. Last Thursday, I saw a woman inches away from death. She was recklessly running across – taking a chance, so much so that a man bawled out to her “Yuh crazy or what?” That incident triggered today’s column.

There are at least eight taxi stands – all jam-packed – 12 food/fruit stalls on the congested sidewalk, several little stores, a casino, Chinese restaurant, KFC, doubles stands, big-store Courts, a bus terminal, gas station and maxi-taxis, buses, private cars, government utility vehicles of all types – all busily passing through the PBR, similar traffic coming through the SMR and EMR with pedestrians running wild over the roads. And maxi-taxis crazily parked here and everywhere. Of course, everybody must make a living, but …

Pedestrians – young, old, men, women and children of varied ethnicity – all have this bad habit of rushing against the red light, recklessly flashing out from behind maxi-taxis – some with cell phones stuck in their ears, giving oncoming drivers a frightful challenge. Even threatening drivers with “bounce me nah” stares. And, as I have noticed, while we do have some crazy drivers too, magistrates need to show some fuller understanding of these crazy pedestrian behaviours.

Even drivers squeeze through the red light, boldly blocking green-light traffic. You will recall the recent fatal accident – a girl rushing across the PBR/SMR corner. In fact, every day, there are accidents just waiting to happen. It is not only about injuries or deaths. It is also the severe public discomfort and lawlessness that occur at these crazy Curepe corners. Indeed, community policing was designed to deal with such high-risk situations.

And you know, there is something that looks like a mobile station at the corner, with the St Joseph Police Station about two blocks away. Matters get worse when you observe what happens at the EMR traffic lights at Champ Fleurs – about half-mile west opposite Mt Hope Medical Complex. Where the EMR, PBR and Butler Highway cross, it’s another tension-driven, traffic jungle. What this suggests is that a thoughtful review and inspection must now be made of such lawless, criminogenic corners. Education yes, but surveillance and law enforcement too. Lawful citizens have enough problems to endure such stressful, lawless discomforts. The psychiatrist may say this could drive some people crazy.

Together with the TT Police Service (TTPS), the municipal police, the special reserve police, the traffic wardens, should all assist within a well-regulated system. That is why they are called “supplemental police.”

What about the responsibilities and powers of the regional corporation regarding construction and pedestrian passageways? As Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein and the anti-corruption squad now discover, it is not only a matter of financial fraud, it is also the inefficiencies– for whatever reason – of our regional municipal corporations. ASP Brian Headley of the Municipal Police Service recently stated: “We have a lot of issues as it relates to how the whole municipal police is managed,” (Guardian, August 7). Careful we do not wastefully continue to put new wine into old bottles.

Taxpayers’ money needs to be handled with greater respect. At present, there are bundles of laws to deal with the traffic and pedestrian craziness that now bedevil the Curepe corners. In addition, some pipe-framed fence railings, about 20-30 feet long around these corners would help guide pedestrian traffic.

How do you think taxpayers feel when they see what goes on daily at these crazy corners? Surely, murders, drive-by shootings, brutal rapes, etc, are big-picture concerns. But some things that continuously irritate lawful citizens are congested streets, loud noise, petty lawlessness and the unchecked craziness witnessed daily at the Curepe corners. Last Thursday, around 1 pm, I saw a police officer dutifully directing traffic at this crazy corner, helping to regularise pedestrian crossing, etc. But he was soon gone. The craziness returned. A permanent, public safety system is what this crazy Curepe corner needs.