Port of Spain mayor, top cop discuss easing traffic congestion

MAYOR of Port of Spain Joel Martinez and Police Commissioner Erla Harewood-Christopher are in discussions to find effective ways to address traffic congestion in the city.

Speaking with Newsday on Thursday, Martinez said while wrecking is one solution, it may not be the most effective. He added that with an emphasis on returning night life to the capital, wreckers operated a lot at night when the congestion was limited to nonexistent, creating unnecessary fear and anger among drivers.

On Tuesday, there was bumper-to-bumper traffic in and out of the city caused by a fallen tree blocking off most of the Lady Young Road. Asked about traffic management on Wednesday after that, Martinez said then that the police are the managers of traffic in the city.

At Thursday’s police Carnival media briefing Gold Commander ACP Cassel Hazel said  his team noted Tuesday’s congestion and will look at it.

“I took note of the incident and I made it clear, I even had a discussion with the mayor of Port of Spain last night (Wednesday) about ensuring that we do have the human resource in terms of the mechanical aspect, in terms of infrastructure services to ensure that in the event of anything we have the resources to treat with incidents that arise.”

Speaking further on wrecking in the city, Martinez said that he was in disccussions with police on the issue which remains within the purview of the Police Commissioner. He added that he did not believe that wrecking would necessarily put an end to indiscriminate parking or traffic congestion in the city.

“There are a number of issues that I am thinking will cause traffic, and that was mentioned to the Commissioner of Police today. The vehicular situation is getting out of hand with a lot of drivers who are not adhering to proper parking and parking indiscriminately in the city, affecting the arteries making it difficult to get in and out of the city.”

He said while ticketing drivers can have some effect, it does not remove the vehicles which is the main issue and will meet again with Harewood-Christopher again on strategies to improve traffic congestion in and out the city.

Hazel also warned that indiscriminate parking for Carnival would result in vehicles being wrecked and drivers having to collect their vehicles at the Licensing Office, Wrightson Road.