Govt to introduce mass transit system

More than 450,000 vehicles are registered to drive on the roads of Trinidad and Tobago. This was revealed by Minister of Works and Transport Franklin Khan during his address at the launch of the Road Safe programme for 2005 at the Kapok Hotel yesterday. Khan said that the figure clearly demonstrated the urgent need to provide more roads to ease the traffic congestion via the highway expansion programme and a mass transit system. These two initiatives are the main priorities of the newly established National Infrastructure Develop-ment Company. The Road Safe programme has been organised by Guardian General in conjunction with the Ministry of Works.

According to Khan, Government is also looking at various ways and means of improving the transport system and several recommendations to deal with the matter will soon be made public for citizens to give their input. He also revealed that some of the recommendations include: the placing of traffic wardens throughout the country; the introduction of staggering work hours and car pooling for long haul journeys. Khan was high in praise of the work being carried out by Guardian General in its bid to educate schoolchildren between the ages of three to seven on the importance of being road safe.

Seven thousand schoolchildren have benefited from the programme. Yesterday, the Road Safe mascot GG was introduced to the media at the launch. The mascot will form part of the activities of Road Safe. Assistant Police Commissioner Winston Cooper welcomed the initiatives by Guardian General and pledged support from the police. He said training schoolchildren about being road safe could contribute to a decrease in the carnage on the roads. He believes schoolchildren may be able to convince their elders about the importance of adhering to traffic regulations.