Dear Editor,

All Newport West employees have to learn the basics in gymnastics, sprinting, hurdling and high jumping, strengthening their flexibility every morning in an attempt to cross the busy Marcus Garvey Drive six-lane road.

This business district facilitates over 2,000 members of staff and customers, some of whom are forced to sprint in front of speeding cars and high-jump over the median.

For those of us who choose to use the pedestrian crossing at the traffic light in the vicinity of Fourth Avenue, we are faced with even more danger from reckless drivers, who disobey the lights and a pedestrian crossing signal that gives crossers about five seconds to safely navigate eight lanes of impatient motorists (two extra lanes for turning right).

My first three seconds are used to check if the road is safe enough to cross. After this is “guaranteed”, the other two seconds I use to fly across as many lanes as possible. When my 5 seconds are completed, I freeze, with usually six more lanes ahead of me to cover.

My life is placed in the hands of strangers revving for the return of the green light. I am forced to plead with motorists to “gi mi a chance, nuh, please?” Some sympathise, others laugh at my misfortune, but I must cross cautiously.

We need a crossing guard to be placed at the intersection of Marcus Garvey Drive and Fourth Avenue in the morning and the evening for workers, customers and students who wish to cross this busy thoroughfare. Also, a sign needs to be placed some metres before the traffic light to make motorists aware that they are approaching a traffic light. We would also appreciate white stripes where pedestrians may cross.

Drivers, I implore you to stop at

the stop bar, do not creep up on pedestrians.

The Shipping Association of Jamaica has tried on several occasions to have the authorities address this issue, but in the interim something needs to be done to prevent this threat to pedestrians, because crossing the Marcus Garvey Drive is both physically and emotionally demanding.

Sanishi Bryson

santoinette_11@hotmail.com