Dear Editor,

I write, a bit disgruntled, after reading the article, ‘Children at risk’ in the Jamaica Observer edition of July 27, 2018.

This is stemming from my personal attempts in contributing to the prevention of this same atrocity against the nation’s children.

I have advocated on various platforms the need for proper lights as well as a demarcated pedestrian crossing in the Washington Boulevard and Duhaney Park intersection. I have lived in Cooreville Gardens for more than two decades and have never seen a pedestrian crossing painted there. Why is that so, Stephen Shaw of National Works Agency?

The hosts of these various call-in programmes must tire of hearing my voice as I plead repeatedly for the relevant authorities to mark out stop bars, pedestrian crossings and the junction bars in this busy thoroughfare, which is the main corridor for students of the Duhaney Park and George Headley primary schools. Not to mention, no less than half a dozen basic schools in the surrounding area.

On any given school day students can be seen crossing diagonally from Duhaney Park Plaza to the Spanish Town bus stop, which lies farther down from the entrance to Cooreville Gardens. Albeit this is partially due to their indiscipline — because they are trained otherwise to cross properly — but it also happens because there are no distinct markings for them to follow or obey.

The motorists that ply this route are some of the most uncompliant and forward I’ve ever encountered. It is a guarantee that on either of the red lights a vehicle is sure to pass through the intersection totally disregarding the traffic signal. This adds to the imminent danger posed to the children of these communities.

The junction box is also most critical, especially during evening peak hours, when residents of Cooreville Gardens are continually blocked from entering/exiting the neighbourhood and pedestrians are forced to bob and weave between vehicles parked on the “invisible” pedestrian crossing.

This would further act as a deterrent to recalcitrant drivers who insist on preventing the free flow of traffic by blocking the entrance to the community.

I implore you, Patrick Rose of the National Works Agency, to revisit this matter post-haste as the new school year begins in four weeks.

Thank you for another avenue to air this grievance.

Tamara Blackburn-McPherson

tamblackburn2004@gmail.com