By: Drizel Hanley
Basseterre, St. Kitts (Thursday 7th December , 2017)– In an effort to mitigate traffic congestion in the Basseterre area, the Government has decided to erect traffic lights and signs at strategic locations.
The traffic lights are being installed at the intersection of Fort Street, Cayon Street and Victoria Road, the bottom of Fort Street which connects the Bay Road and at the Roundabout which joins Wellington Road, Pond Road and Cayon Street.
This initiative comes on the heels of a survey that was carried out by the Public Works Department in collaboration with ADeB Consultants.
Following the survey, the data was analysed and it was decided that traffic lights are needed and the best choice to alleviate congestion in the Basseterre area.
According to Head of the Traffic Department, Chief Inspector Carl Caines, the work commenced on November 18th and the Traffic Lights should be fully operational by Christmas.
Caines went on to say that usually officers are deployed to regulate the flow of vehicles at intersections and roundabouts in the Basseterre area.
“……that manpower can be used elsewhere to enforce traffic laws and ensure road safety,” he said.
Notably, he revealed that an educational drive will be done to familiarize the public on the operations of the lights.
“So far, it is on stream, it here and we now have to do our educational drive because some of us are not aware, some of us do not know how to use them,” he said.