Works Minister Jack Warner yesterday apologised to the families of six accident victims for his Works Ministry's failure to erect median barriers along the Solomon Hochoy Highway. Warner did so during a function at Arima yesterday where he commissioned the Mt Pleasant bridge. The six persons who died over the weekend were involved in two accidents. "We should have done better and with more dispatch and more haste," Warner said about the delay in erecting medians. Expressing sympathies to the victims' families, Warner said $21 million had been allocated to provide median barriers along the highway.
However, he said they had not been installed as yet. He said he spoke to ministry officials about the delay.
Warner said he was told the Central Tenders Board had now approved the deal and the project would be done by a firm known as Udesure. He expressed concern about the public's driving techniques. He said lawlessness was in force and there was lack of enforcement. He said 300 traffic wardens were being recruited to assist the situation concerning roads. About 77 are already employed. Warner said the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway between Trincity and Golden Grove was being widened to three lanes.
Traffic lights at El Soccorro would be removed at the end of April to allow for a smoother flow of traffic, he added. Warner also said yesterday his ministry would be allocating $750,000 worth of contracts by Friday for projects. If that was finished in the current fiscal year, he said, another $750,000 would be distributed. Warner could not say exactly how much employment would be created. He also said a decision on the suspended CAL board was expected at Thursday's Cabinet session.