BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE police have explained that the cost associated with the installation of the new traffic lights, played a factor in why they are only being installed in three locations.
Currently, the lights are being installed at the junctions of Fort and Cayon Street, Forth and Bay Road, the roundabout at Bakers Corner and Pond Road.
During a town hall meeting at the Old Girls School last evening (Dec. 12) officers explained that to their knowledge the cost was placed in the vicinity of US$600,000 for the project.
The officers noted that the traffic volume has increased tremendously over the last several years and they now “have to be more proactive in addressing the situation”, the officers noted.
“I don’t think we have to wait until we have gridlock, bumper to bumper (traffic). We have to start to look at the solutions.”
Though the systems are being called state-of-the-art, they will for now operate without Closed Circuit Television cameras, according to Traffic Chief, inspector Carl Caines
Just recently, Minister of Public Infrastructure, Hon. Ian Liburd told reporters that the volume of traffic has been increasing in the heart of Basseterre, and a new approach is needed.”
“What I would like to see, and I have said it to the Traffic and Public Service Board is, we take a more scientific approach to traffic,” Liburd said.
He confessed that the lights alone wouldn’t solve the problem.
The police, like Minister Liburd, are hopeful of having the lights operational before Christmas.
“…it is expected that by the Christmas season, if not functional, they should be already installed, in place and the testing period will take place. And after that we will see how it goes from there,” Caines told WINN FM recently.
