Mayor: New traffic restrictions in Chaguanas

Chaguanas mayor Faaiq Mohammed says from today, the Rodney Road Extension in Endeavour will be converted to a one-way street during peak hours to combat traffic in the borough over the next few days as several major events coincide.

Mohammed spoke to Newsday after he called an emergency meeting amid fears that the Divali Nagar, the Suarez Brother's Circus, month-end shopping and ongoing works to widen the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway could lead to gridlock traffic.

Mohammed said ASP Dipchan from the police's Central Division and ASP Samaroo of the Municipal Police attended. He said despite confirming their attendance, officials from the Ministry of Works Traffic Management Branch and its Traffic Warden Division abstained from the meeting.

Mohammed previously said the meeting was moved from Tuesday to Wednesday to allow all parties to attend.

He said Dipchan proposed a new traffic initiative for the Endeavour area, which would be implemented on Thursday.

"Starting on Thursday, October 24, 2024, Rodney Road Extension will be converted into a one-way route (south to north) during peak hours, specifically from 7 am to 9 am and 2 pm to 6 pm. The goal is to reduce the number of vehicles entering Rodney Road from the extension, thereby alleviating congestion at the roundabout."

He said Dipchan was expected to meet with all stakeholders along Rodney Road Extension on Wednesday to ensure the plan's smooth implementation.

He said there was a suggestion to address traffic issues in the Longdenville-Montrose area. This, he said, would be investigated by Dipchan and Samaroo.

"We are hopeful that these measures will improve the traffic flow and overall road safety in these regions."

Mohammed said Dipchan told him that the circus and organisers of the Divali Nagar have been working closely with police to co-ordinate efforts to reduce congestion. Mohammed said the circus was hiring officers to handle security, crowd control and traffic management on the days they have scheduled shows, while the Divali Nagar's organisers hired police to assist in a similar regard.

The mayor said additional traffic wardens were also deployed in the Endeavour area to help manage congestion and nighttime works on the highway would be halted until after Divali. This was announced by Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan in the Senate on Monday.

President of the Chaguanas Chamber of Commerce Baldath Maharaj commended parties involved for seeking solutions to the area's traffic woes.

"The collaborative approach with the TTPS, NCIC, and Suarez Circus demonstrates a commendable commitment to ensuring public safety and minimising traffic disruptions during major events. The deployment of additional traffic wardens in the Endeavour area for Divali Nagar and the decision to halt night highway works during this period shows some understanding of the needs of our business community and residents."

He agreed that the move to make Rodney Road Extension one-way during peak hours would help alleviate congestion.

"The Chamber is particularly encouraged by the attention being given to traffic challenges in the Longdenville-Montrose area. We are confident that with the continued co-operation between the police, traffic management teams, and the business community, we can bring much-needed relief to road users.

"We look forward to the positive outcomes of these initiatives and will continue to support efforts that improve the quality of life and business environment in Chaguanas."

President of the Chaguanas/San Fernando Taxi Drivers’ Association Kevon Philbert believes the plan would work but urged authorities to educate the public about it.

"Just for this duration so the travelling public wouldn't say 'I didn't know'. Let it go viral, more ads (and) more awareness of the things that they are now implementing."