A police operation to facilitate the transfer of the new polymer $100 currency notes to the Central Bank Towers in Port-of-Spain caused massive gridlock traffic in the capital Saturday.
What was supposed to be an easy Saturday morning drive through the city turned into a traffic congestion nightmare for drivers as blocks and entrances into Port-of-Spain had been cordoned off for the exercise.
While motorists were stewing in the crawling traffic, Parliamentarians were debating an amendment to the Miscellaneous Provisions (Proceeds of Crime and Central Bank) Bill 2019 related to the $100 note.
National security personnel, heavily armed members of the T&T Police Service and the T&T Defence Force stood guard at the roadblocks and around the bank.
A National Security helicopter circled overhead of Central Bank while a container purportedly loaded with the new $100 bills reversed into the bank's interior on Edward Street surrounded by heavily armed National Security and law enforcement personnel.
Motorists coming from the East on the Beetham Highway could not turn at the Lighthouse or Edward Street and had to make a loop around Powergen onto Ariapita Avenue if their destination was the heart of the city.
Traffic was being diverted to secondary road arteries, but they too were being clogged by motorists trying to escape the traffic.
Wrightson Road traffic heading East was also being diverted into the city, while the lanes on the Western side were open to traffic.
The TTPS put out an advisory that there was heavy traffic in Port-of- Spain, due to traffic restrictions at South Quay in the vicinity of the Brian Lara Promenade and Edward Street. Motorists were advised to proceed with caution and comply with the guidance provided by the officers and where possible to seek alternative routes.
National Security Minister Stuart Young replied on WhatsApp that "the traffic around Central Bank was as a result of an operation."