Creating gridlock can’t be a solution

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Dalton Scott, president of the Cumberland Tri-Sector Citizens’ Association, has asked for a three-day boycott of the Portmore leg of Highway 2000. In fact, as I understand it, he is calling for solidarity among users of other legs of Highway 2000. The boycott is to be staged Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

People are hurting and people are desperate, but this is a dumb suggestion.

A lot of this stems from ignorance of how a country is run, of how a company is run. The president of a taxi association called for toll rates to be increased every five or ten years. Ridiculous!

So many people don’t understand the binding nature of a contract. So many people are financially illiterate. They don’t understand the responsibility of a company to its shareholders. What the taxi associations should be doing is getting fares increased every two to three years.

I have a funny feeling that this plan will not be successful. What Mr Scott is calling on users of Highway 2000 to do is to inconvenience themselves for three days. What he is asking them to do is to endure the bottleneck through Old Harbour and Mandela for three mornings and three evenings!

The amount of gas I waste by doing this might end up more expensive than taking the toll road. I really hope that good sense prevails.

Whatever form of protest that I embark on must never be to my discomfort and disadvantage. Apart from the waste of time and gas, there is the risk of road rage partially caused by impatient motorists creating extra lanes.

Does Mr Scott really know what he is asking for? Whatever form of protest I participate in, I must not end up being the loser.

The country cannot afford to lose the money. I am not going to lick myself in trying to lick the Government.

MY PROPOSAL

What, therefore, do I propose?

I have only two main suggestions at this time.

First, carpool. (This should have been thought of a long time ago). My idea is to carpool four days per week and work from home one day. By doing so, you save 50 per cent of the toll. In other words, you pay less than before the increase in toll rates.

Second, government departments and private sector companies should put more buses on the road for their workers.

I recognise that my proposals might not work for everybody, but creating gridlock can’t be a solution.

NORMAN W.M. THOMPSON