Moonilal blames Government for Holy Thursday traffic gridlock

OROPOUCHE East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal blamed Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan and the Government for a massive traffic pile-up in north-west Trinidad on Thursday, after a Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) water line ruptured on the Western Main Road, Cocorite on Wednesday night.

In a statement on Sunday in his role as the opposition's shadow transport minister, Moonilal said, "There were no alternative road plans, resulting in thousands of commuters being distressed, similar to what took place in the previous day’s great traffic jam. Among those affected were Christians going to Holy Thursday mass and Muslims attending mosques during the Holy month of Ramadan."

Moonilal believed Diego Martin residents should feel particularly pained by that since the Prime Minister and Finance Minister Colm Imbert are the MPs of two of the three constituencies (Diego Martin West and Diego Martin North/East respectively) in which they live. Communications Minister Symon de Nobriga is the Diego Martin Central MP.

"There was no traffic management even with concerned citizens suggesting that Western Main Road be temporarily turned into a one-way artery for traffic heading west, leaving Mucurapo Road and the Audrey Jeffers Foreshore for east-bound vehicles."

Moonilal claimed this reflected the absence of timely and effective decisions. He said it also reflects "the poor leadership by the Minister of Works and his relevant colleagues."

Moonilal reiterated that these "are all indicators of a Government that has collapsed on the weight of its utter incompetence."

In response, Sinanan said he believed Moonilal was trying to be a little relevant in his role as shadow transport minister.

"He should understand that this was a WASA issue. WASA had the responsibility to inform the Ministry of Works and Transport, and to put contingencies in place (to deal with any problem which arose)."

He found it difficult to understand how Moonilal could blame the situation on his ministry if WASA was doing emergency repair work on an issue not under its purview.