Traffic congestion and traffic jams in this country are very big headaches that cannot be treated overnight. Howls of protest have been descending on the Ministry of Transport and the mayor of Port-of-Spain since the implementation of the new traffic plan in Woodbrook and St James. Two big issues appear to be the lack of pedestrian crossings and significantly the no parking between 6 am-9 am and 3 pm-6 pm.
According to the business owners, the restrictions on parking at these peak hours are crippling sales. I can't figure out the reasons why there are parking restrictions on major routes like Ariapita Avenue and Tragarete Road which are now converted to one-way "highways." While the mayor is allowing the new traffic plan to go through its "gestation" period, why is it not plausible to install parking meters along the major routes to allow businesses to exhale once again? In this way we can move from "gestation" to "fruition" in a matter of days.
Reza Abasali
El Socorro