Concrete hazards on our roads

THE EDITOR: Kindly publish this letter written to Mr Franklyn Khan Minister of Works and Transport. Dear Mr Khan, It is with such a feeling of anger that I read the newspaper report in this morning’s newspaper (Sunday November 23) on the accident which took place in the early hours of this morning near the Neal and Massy compound caused by that stupidly sited and sized concrete island in the middle of the road. During the day, at the best of times, the traffic island is barely visible until you are near to it and at night, because of the ridiculously low height and the fact that the white paint has faded into insignificance, it is impossible to see it until you are literally on top of it. If a driver is unfamiliar with the road or even, does not drive that route at regular intervals, there is no way that he/she will notice the island until it is perhaps too late. The road is wide at that point and unless you are aware of this death trap in the middle of nowhere, literally, it is all too easy to crash into it as did the car and occupants on that fateful morning.

The Morvant police have confirmed that several accidents over the years can probably be blamed on this traffic island. Then why is it still there? A young woman who had just celebrated her birthday is dead, another will probably lose one eye, if she survives her other injuries and the two young men suffered fractured limbs. Who is responsible for this accident, this senseless death? It seems that some responsibility should be accepted by the Ministry of Transport which, at this site and countless others all over Trinidad and Tobago, places the lives of motorists in extreme peril due to inadequate and oftentimes non existent road and hazard signs and senselessly placed obstacles on our roadways. Another death example is the site at the intersection at Westmoorings on both the south and north sides of the lights, where in an attempt to prevent motorists from circumventing the lights, two low walls have been placed down the middle of the road, again in concrete. When first constructed there were red and white poles, also of miniscule height, placed on top of the concrete. All of these red and white poles have been knocked off the northern concrete wall with the result similar to that which pertains at the traffic island at Morvant - barely visible by day and totally invisible at night. Indeed there is evidence that vehicles have run into the end of the wall. There are again concrete stanchions at the bottom of the Savannah and at the Western Main Road when leaving St James outside TTEC Power Stars panyard, as well  as at several other sites.

Why does the Ministry of Works and Transport continue to use concrete which is known to cause death and severe injury instead of rubber which is used in more developed countries? Why does the Ministry of Works and Transport continue to warn motorists of road works only at the very site of said works and not at least 200 metres ahead. Once again Vision 20-20 seems such an elusive dream. My list could go on and on but would not be complete without mentioning the merging of traffic coming up from Cipriani Boulevard onto the Savannah. The ‘Give Way’ sign at the top of the Boulevard is inappropriately sited - again it is not very visible to motorists - because it is placed where the sidewalk curves away from the road itself. Because of the construction of the road, both the motorist coming round the Savannah and the motorist driving up the Boulevard thinks that he has right of way. As a result, a motorist driving round the Savannah, unfamiliar with that stretch of road or who does not get out of that lane, could easily find himself in collision with a vehicle coming up the Boulevard at great speed as they usually do. I have previously written to the Ministry of Works and have also more recently called - to no avail. It is my hope that the powers that be address the issues raised in this letter and safeguard the lives of our citizens.

DR JILL ROBERTSON
Maraval