BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - QUESTIONS continue to be raised over whether traffic officials were ready to launch the long-promised signal lights.
The Traffic Department and government had promised to launch the lights on Monday, but later scrapped that plan as several missing parts for the lights were being sourced.
But SKNVibes News understands that though the lights were set to be launched in their testing phase, there are currently no official laws on the books that would speak to them.
Contacted today for a comment. Traffic Inspector Carl Caines explained that currently some missing parts of the lights are being sourced.
“Some parts are still missing to have the lights to be functional. The parts have not arrived on island as yet, that is the main reason why it is not functioning as yet.”
The parts should be on island by this weekend, Caines confirmed.
But for the official date of them being switched on, he stated that it is left of the respective Minister to confirm.
During a recent interview with WINN FM, the Inspector confirmed that the lights would not have been launched on Monday.
Further, he confirmed to WINN FM that the regulations would be in place very shortly to govern the lights, adding that they would begin to work very shortly.
SKNVibes asked Caines about laws that would govern the lights, specifically for persons running red lights and being ticket, to which he pointed out that a decision has to be made at the cabinet level.
“The Traffic Department has submitted what needs to be, but it has to come from Cabinet to say that there are laws. And so, we still have to wait on them.”
The lights cost in excess of US$600,000 to purchase and be installed, and the government is hopeful that the lights would assist in the smooth flow of traffic in and around Basseterre.
Currently the lights are installed at three locations: the intersection of Forth Street and the Bay Road; the intersections of Wellington Road, Pond road and Cayon Streets; and the intersection of Forth Street, Victoria Road and Cayon Street.
