Dear Editor,

The present traffic situation where St John’s Road joins the Spanish Town bypass is a disaster waiting to happen. It is about time that control lights be installed at that intersection because it is very difficult, especially for right-turning traffic to get unto the bypass. Attention has been drawn to this situation on numerous occasions, both in the press and radio, but nothing has yet been done.

There are several other intersections requiring similar facility. In addition, Spanish Town must be the “holey city”, with so many potholes in the streets. Plus, for drivers who are not too familiar with Spanish Town, one is not too sure which are one-way streets and whether you are going in the right direction.

Road lane markings seem not to be too fashionable these days. Hagley Park Road (one of the Devil’s taxi race courses) is one such road, and the lack of traffic signals is a sure sign of an undeveloped country. Body work mechanics have enough business to live comfortably because of the way we drive and the lack of adequate signage.

We mourn at the heavy loss of lives on Jamaican roads, but the authorities can do much more in order to reduce the number by relatively simple actions such as traffic lights, lane markings, and guide rails on precipitous roads. If locals find driving in Jamaica such a horrifying experience one can imagine how foreigners feel — only the brave venture to drive on our roads.

I hope we won’t have to wait another decade for the new road traffic law to come into effect.

Trevor Samuels

tasamuels@cwjamaica.com