Highway toll system a good idea

THE EDITOR: I applaud the Trinidad and Tobago government’s decision to implement a highway toll system to pay for highways in the country. This is something that I have advocated for some time to improve the transportation system and move people more effectively. This is a way that many government bodies around the world have used to pay for highway construction and to maintain highways in their jurisdictions. What is important is that people of the country accept this as a way of paying for modernisation and expansion of their infrastructure.

Meaning, you “pay as you go.” If you use the highway to get from point A to point B, then you must pay for that privilege. People must get used to the idea that not everything in life is free and if you want these improvements, you will have to help pay for them through a toll. What needs to happen though, is that the legislation be written in such a way that a “Transportation Fund” is set up and the tolls collected are managed separately and not be co-mingled in the general fund and be syphoned off into non-transportation projects. If this is done, then TT can also embark on the dream of building an underwater tunnel to connect the two islands or of building a land bridge between the two islands. I support the underwater tunnel idea. It will take some time, but a toll collection system will help to pay for it. This will help make the two land masses truly one.

Now they should also consider doing something to relieve the unbearable traffic congestion coming into and out of Port-of-Spain on a daily basis along the East-West corridor. Maybe an elevated toll road can also be built to solve that problem. Again, I applaud the government for their vision and innovative thinking on how such projects can be funded. Maybe we are finally on the road to Vision 20/20.

KELVIN C JAMES, Sr
Port-of-Spain