Lee Sing: I have nothing more to say on new traffic plan

After numerous attempts to defend the recently-implemented traffic plan in the city of Port-of-Spain, Mayor Louis Lee Sing has now decided to keep a “still tongue” on the issue. This comes a day after his colleague in the People’s National Movement and Member of Parliament for Port-of-Spain South, Marlene McDonald, joined with residents and business owners in an effort to have the traffic plan reverted to its original format.

In a radio interview yesterday morning, Lee Sing once again attempted to justify the traffic plan which was devised by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure in consultation with the Port-of-Spain City Corporation. The mayor questioned the reason why protesters said the traffic plan was not working for business owners, especially when people continue to frequent the roads and continue to park on boths side of the streets, especially the Western Main Road in St James.

When contacted for comment yesterday, Lee Sing, in a very calm manner said: “I have nothing more to say on this matter.” Asked why McDonald and protesters believed that the plan was causing problems, he said: “I don’t know and they really don’t expect me to respond to that nonsense...I have no more comments to make on that matter.”

He said that if former works and transport minister Colm Imbert and McDonald, who held the role of community development minister for seven years, believed it should be so, then so be it. “I am going to allow all these people to wobble in their ignorance,” Lee Sing said. On Saturday, McDonald led a protest group who walked from Long Circular Road to George Cabral Street, St James, to highlight their views that the traffic changes in Woodbrook, Ariapita Avenue, Western Main Road and Tragarete Road were affecting them adversely and they wanted to have the traffic plan reverted.

McDonald said that resident had complained that the change had transformed their roads into highways while business owners had reported a drastic declined in sales. She said: “The residents can tell you that these two highways in the middle of the residential areas have created havoc for them in terms of crossing, in terms of the senior citizens, in terms of the children.” She added they would have to intensify their actions as the new school term was nearing.