Traffic snarl in Mandeville as Bunting, Walker nominated

MANDEVILLE, Manchester - Nomination Day activities triggered major traffic jams in Mandeville as hundreds turned up in suport of their candidates Peter Bunting of the People’s National Party (PNP) and Danville Walker of the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

The two were nominated just an hour apart, Bunting at 11:00am and Walker at mid-day, at the historic Mandeville courthouse.

At minutes to 2:00 pm the roadways through this south central town remained snarled with traffic as scores of vehicles packed with party supporters decked out in the green of the JLP and the PNP’s orange competed with ordinary motorists going about their business.

In some cases it was taking motorists close to an hour to move 100 metres.

There were numerous instances of vehicles bearing opposing party supporters ending up one behind the other in the heavy traffic but police said that up to early afternoon there were no unsavoury incidents.

“Everything is alright, just traffic congestion which is clearing up now,” chief of police in Manchester, Superintendent Lascelles Taylor, told the Observer.

- Garfield Myers