Six-storey solution planned for Chaguanas traffic, vending

Chaguanas mayor Orlando Nagessar is planning to tackle traffic congestion head-on by building a six-storey car park and vending facility in 2011. Speaking with reporters at the Divali Nagar site in Chaguanas yesterday, Nagessar said the new traffic arrangements, which were implemented before Christmas Day, worked well in alleviating traffic at the Endeavour Flyover.  Before the implementation of the new plan, traffic often backed up onto the Uriah Butler  Highway, causing distress to motorists, Nagessar said. “When I came through the Endeavour Flyover this morning, I thought that it was a curfew because everything was clear,” he said.

“The traffic plan was successful...we had a few hiccups. At the gas station there was too much traffic turning here. We need to have a roundabout at the gas station.” Saying the traffic plan was a fantastic idea, the mayor admitted: “There is still room for improvement with regards to traffic on the Montrose and Chaguanas Main Roads. “I am certain with the co-operation of the Ministry of Works, Traffic Management Division and the borough, we will attack the traffic situation and become the first city or town to look at traffic in such great detail,” he said. “It is a problem we will tackle in 2011 and it is a problem we are determined to solve.”

He also said the three wreckers which were hired to patrol Chaguanas, wrecked hundreds of cars before Christmas Day. Saying many motorists had difficulties in getting back their vehicles, Nagessar said the best way to deal with this was to stop illegal parking. “In T&T we like to park right outside the store...There are reasons for this because people are often concerned about safety,” he said. He noted, however, that free parking was available in the borough and citizens should take advantage of this. “People have to be obedient and if they park, they must obey the law,” Nagessar said.

“We have good free parking in Chaguanas at the courthouse. There is also free parking at Saith Park which could hold 300 cars. At HCU there is space to park 50 cars free of charge. The Centre City Mall has a modern car park but you have to pay there. We must obey the law and park properly.” The mayor also explained that vendors were cleared off the street and placed in a facility in Chaguanas. He noted, however, that plans were afoot to upgrade the facility to a six-storey building, where the vendors would occupy two storeys, while the other four storeys would  be used for parking. Nagessar said the testing time for the traffic plan was at Christmas and it was evident that everything worked out well.