CRICKET fans eager to watch matches in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup ‘live and direct’ at Sabina Park, and the Jamaica Local Organising Committee (LOC) alike, will today discover if transportation and traffic plans put in place for the tournament actually work, as the system gets its first real test when hosts West Indies take on Pakistan in the opening game of the tournament.

The LOC has implemented ‘Park & Ride’ and ‘Park & Walk’ systems, while several roads in the vicinity of Sabina Park will be closed to vehicular traffic on match days.

Spectators will be able to park their cars at five locations, and either walk or ride to Sabina Park. For those fans using the ‘Park & Ride’ locations, shuttle buses will be provided for all games played at the country’s premier cricket venue.

The National Stadium, the UDC (Urban Development Corporation) Car Park in Downtown Kingston, and the Elletson Road Police Station have been designated ‘Park & Ride’ pick-up and drop-off points, Up Park Camp’s Duppy Gate has been designated a ‘Park & Walk’ spot, while National Heroes Park will serve as both.

All five locations provide a total of 3,100 parking places: The UDC Car Park has 450 parking spaces, Elletson Road Police Station 350, National Stadium 1,600, Up Park Camp 300, and National Heroes Park 400.

At least 49 shuttle buses will be used for the ‘Park & Ride’ service each match day, spread over four locations. Forty-nine buses will be used for tomorrow’s match, 32 in the morning and 17 in the evening.

Shuttle services will begin operation at 6:30 am, running on a full schedule departing every 15 minutes until 10:00 am when they will start running every hour until 3:30 pm. Shuttles will resume full operation from 3:30 pm until 8:30 pm.

Shuttles heading north from the UDC Car Park will off-load on North Street between Holy Trinity Cathedral and the intersection of South Camp Road; buses heading from the National Stadium will off-load at Jessie Ripoll Primary School, while those coming from Elletson Road will off-load on South Camp Road between Victoria Avenue and Norman Road, and spectators will be asked to walk to Sabina Park from all drop-off zones.

No other vehicular traffic will be allowed along North Street between Wildman Street and South Camp Road or along South Camp Road between Deanery and Norman Roads.

Schools in the vicinity of Sabina Park – Kingston College, St George’s College, Holy Trinity Secondary, Convent of Mercy Alpha Academy and Alpha and Jessie Ripoll Primary schools – will also be closed on match days.

For the remaining match days the ‘Park & Ride’ schedule of buses is:

. On March 15, 64 buses (19 in the morning and 45 in the evening)

. March 17, 92 buses (27 morning, 65 evening)

. March 19, 89 buses (26 morning, 63 evening)

. March 21, 69 buses (19 morning, 50 evening) and

. March 23, 89 buses (27 morning and 62 evening).

On the April 24 date of the semi-final, 102 buses will be in operation – 32 allocated for the morning and 70 for the evening. Individuals can access ‘Park & Ride’ shuttle bus services by paying a fee

of $200.

Meanwhile, no large trucks will be allowed to travel on Mount Rosser, St Catherine on match days between 3:00 am and 8:00 am.

Fixed and moveable barriers will be installed along the following routes

Fixed Barriers: Watt Street & North Avenue; Conrad Lane & North Avenue; Vincent Street & Anderson Road; Hart Street & Stanford Street; Woodford Street & South Camp Road; Seaforth Street & South Camp Road; Goodwin Park Road & South Camp Road; Emmaville Crescent [South] & South Camp Road; Norman Road & South Camp Road; Text Lane & North Street; Price Lane & North Street; Lissant Road & North Street; on South Camp Road (North of Melbourne Road); on South Camp Road (North of Emerald Road).

Moveable Barriers: South Camp Road (South of Woodford Street); South Camp Road (North of Andrews Lane ); North Street (East of Wildman Street); Stanford Street (South of Liverpool Street); Lockett Avenue (West of West Avenue); Great George’s Street (North of North Avenue); Arnold Road ( North of Campbell Street); Anderson Road (South of Woodford Street); Blake Road & North Street; Rosemount Avenue & South Camp Road; Emmaville Crescent (North) & South Camp Road; Glenmore Road & South Camp Road.