Lack of foresight leaves traffic mess after Champs
Dear Editor,
The ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ & Girls’ Athletics Championships has come and gone with Calabar being declared the 2017 champions. Although the exploits on the field will remain memorable, what I will never forget is the one hour that I directed traffic at the car park across from the stadium on Friday, March 31, 2017.
It should be noted that to be able to utilise this car park patrons had to pay $400. So, it should be a reasonable expectation that just like when the money is being collected and people are on hand directing patrons where to park, the converse would be true upon exit — someone could be on location to ensure that patrons leave in an orderly manner.
Not so!
Having exited the gates immediately after the 4×4 relays and gained entrance to the vehicle, the queue in the car park did not move for 20 minutes. Checks were made as to why only to discover there was no one directing traffic from that exit.
I went to the exit to find a municipal policeman standing with arms at his side. When asked why the traffic was not moving, he informed that because he is a municipal policeman and didn’t have the authority to write tickets; he was being disrespected and ignored by the patrons.
I then started to direct the traffic myself. While there were approximately three motorists who did not accede to my wishes, the others did. As a result, many motorists who had been stuck were finally able to leave the car park. I kept this up until my family’s vehicle was about to exit, and this also coincided with the arrival of a police inspector. When I queried why there were no police to assist, I was shocked to hear him say, “Mi just come out a my bed and unoo nuh know what a gwaan pon the outskirts of Stadium.”
Apart from the fact that I could have had a medical emergency, with no way to get to Bustamante Childrens’ Hospital, I am simply amazed at the lazy attitude and unprofessionalism exhibited by these officials. In addition, the organisers’ lack of foresight leaves a lot to be desired.
Traffic ‘warden’
St Andrew
