A new traffic plan implemented in the eastern town of Sangre Grande had to be scrapped less than 48 hours after it went into force.
For a second day, motorists trying to leave Sangre Grande were caught in traffic for hours from as early as 6 am.
Many school children and employees arrived late at their destination and some drivers parked at the side of the road in frustration.
Some maxi and taxi drivers ceased operating leaving commuters stranded. They claimed this was the worst experience they ever encountered with traffic backing up as far as Valencia, in the west, Fishing Pond, in the south and Vega de Oropouche in the east.
By 10 am, after an emergency meeting called at the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation involving members of the Sangre Grande Chamber of Commerce and other stakeholders, the new plan was shelved.
Workmen were seen covering the no entry signs with black plastic on Thursday. The signs will eventually be removed.
President of Sangre Grande Chamber of Commerce Ricardo Mohammed said: “In light of the current traffic situation in Sangre Grande, the Sangre Grande Chamber of Commerce had to intervene.”
“We had discussions with Traffic Management Inspector and the traffic flow has now been reverted to the previous traffic plan, effective immediately,” Mohammed said.
“It’s all over,” he said.
The new plan made Railway Road, which runs parallel to the Eastern Main Road, the only route heading west from the Picton Road turn-off while a section of the Eastern Main Road, from Guaico Tamana Road junction, was made one-way heading east until Wallenvalle. Several other streets were made one-way.
Chairman Sangre Grande Regional Corporation Terry Rondon said he empathised with those caught in the traffic jam.
Rondon added that traffic will revert to its original route by late Thursday.
Motorists said the Traffic Management Branch, of the Ministry of Works and Transport, did not take into consideration how narrow some of the streets were in Sangre Grande and the deplorable conditions of some of the roads.