Dear Editor,
I would like to bring to the attention of the Ministry of Public Works that there have been extended periods where new roadways have been resurfaced or expanded, and no road markings or signage have been installed to complete these projects, leaving all who use these roadways to guess their way while using them. This is not only stressful to road users, but significantly increases the risk of accidents, damage to public property, injury, and death. Although these are not 100% unavoidable, they can certainly be reduced by simple measures incorporated into transportation infrastructure.
What is being asked for is simple: roadway infrastructure that encourages safer driving by eliminating the guesswork needed on roads that have no lines, no signs, no traffic lights, and sometimes no lights at all.
New roads shouldn’t only prioritize speed and capacity – they need to incorporate all the elements to ensure safety at all times, from the time construction begins, to the point the road is finished, and maintained with diligence. At no time should the roads be unsafe or unfit to drive on, especially in a nation where road fatalities are at a very undesirable high.
There are other elements that contribute significantly to accidents on the roadways, including reckless driving, less than adequate law enforcement, unfit vehicles, but inadequate infrastructure should not be one of them, since it’s arguably the easiest to fix.
At no time should traffic lights be left in a state of disrepair for months, road markings on major highways and roundabouts become faded and left unattended, damaged roads and complementing infrastructure be left unattended.
The lax attitude towards roadway safety is costing this nation human lives unnecessarily, and that needs to be fixed. We cannot continue this culture of accepting unsafe conditions and finding ways around it instead of fixing the problem.
Let’s address this head on and get the problem under control.
Respectfully,
Darrell A. Carpenay
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