BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WITH the steady increase in the vehicular population in St. Kitts, the Traffic Department said it is time for traffic lights to be mounted at strategic points on the island.
A couple of weeks ago, a survey was conducted by the Public Works Department in conjunction with ADeB Consultants and the data is to be collated and analyzed to see if traffic lights would be the best option for St. Kitts to take in an effort to relieve traffic congestion.
Head of the Traffic Department Inspector Carl Caines – in an interview with SKNVibes – affirmed that traffic lights are needed to alleviate congestion in the Basseterre area.
He informed that about two years ago there were more than 15,000 vehicles on the streets and now there are more than 20,000. Caines said – especially with the ease at which individuals could purchase vehicles through the internet – he expects the vehicular population would continue to increase over the coming years.
If traffic lights are introduced, the Traffic Department Head is proposing that they be used during specific periods of the day.
“It is seriously time to consider the traffic lights in the Basseterre area and we are proposing that. If we get them, they would work during the rush and peak hours of the day and, of course, when there are special activities such as Carnival and Music Festival when the vehicular and pedestrian traffic is more than the usual.”
Inspector Caines indicated that as a means of alleviating traffic congestion, the Traffic Department is “putting more police on the street on the busy days and we have put parking restrictions in certain areas so that traffic can move smoothly. For example, there are restrictions on Fridays and Saturdays because that is when there is the most traffic in the Basseterre area.
“We also implement restrictions when there are major functions to ensure that people’s parking does not impede the flow of traffic”.
With Christmas and Carnival just around the corner, Inspector Caines said parking and traffic restrictions would have to be in place, because getting from point A to point B could take far longer than usual.
Should traffic lights be mounted in St. Kitts, Inspector Caines said the population needs to be educated on the function of the apparatus. He stated that the Government would also have to enact jaywalking legislature which would penalize individuals for attempting to cross the road haphazardly.
