Editorial | When will traffic nightmare end?

With mounting chaos on the capital's busiest commercial corridors, we feel compelled to return to a topic we have commented on previously.

We acknowledge that peak-hour delays are to be expected in any major city. However, extreme congestion and lengthy delays are now features of life in the nation's capital, as commuters try to navigate major streets any time of day. The difficulty does not only apply to road construction but also work by utilities such as the National Water Commission and Jamaica Public Service Company.

Our concern, we feel, is justified when work by a utility company on the streets of Kingston impacts the business of the courts, as it did on Thursday, forcing the closure of the Criminal Division of the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court and the rescheduling of cases.

On a broader basis, while we agree that the decaying infrastructure that demanded road widening, pothole patching and resurfacing will enhance the driving experience, such work ought to be carried out with due regard for the travelling public and the people who live and work in the immediate vicinity of these works.

Take Barbican Square, the nightmare has dragged on for many months, creating gridlock throughout the day. Dust and noise have greatly impacted those who do business and live in the area. Additionally, for people who have no alternative route, which applies to dozens of motorists, they are simply trapped in their vehicles for several hours each morning and again in the evening.

The impact on productivity, if measured through appropriate study, would give an indication of how the hours lost on the streets affect the bottom line of the country's commercial entities. Some businesses will most certainly lose patronage as people try to avoid the snarls and find places they can access more easily.

Longsuffering Jamaican commuters and motorists are accustomed to enduring delays and major inconvenience when major road construction is being undertaken. Traffic management and ways to improve efficiency on our roads were never touted as priority areas, and over time we have fallen into a rut. The current situation causes motorists often to scurry recklessly through stop lights and intersections with impunity.

At the beginning of the year, the traffic pile-up that created havoc on the Palisadoes road was decried by many, and that event appeared to portend the challenges that were ahead for 2018.

So minimising hurdles, erecting appropriate signs and facilitating alternate routes are not practised. The flag men and increasingly women, who are supposed to help in controlling the traffic around constructions areas, are often unsure what to do and only add to the confusion.

Without due warning, it is not unusual to stumble upon cumbersome, heavy-duty equipment blocking the roadway, often creating an obstacle course for motorists. All of this points to a lack of proper planning and training.

How difficult we wonder it would be for the Police Traffic Department to give information to the motoring public throughout the day, so they can get real-time updates before heading on to problem roads? And how about scheduling work during off-peak hours, at night and during the weekend?

Hopefully, commuters will get the relief they so urgently seek in the not-too-distant future. Even when the work is completed, the city of Kingston will still need a comprehensive traffic system that is capable of moving the growing urban population in an effective and efficient manner.