ST JAMES, Jamaica — National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang says more police are to be placed within the congested town of Lucea in Hanover to assist with the flow of traffic.

“So, I expect to see a difference today (Saturday) going forward. I’ve been tracking that on a daily basis and I expect an additional team of police officers down here this week, which will make a difference,” stated Chang.

The minister was responding to queries from Observer Online during a media interview in St James over the weekend about traffic congestion in the small western Jamaica town.

Last December, the National Works Agency converted the Willie Delisser Boulevard in the town from a one-way into a two-way route. This assisted in alleviating the traffic jam leading in and out of the town, but only for a short period as increased vehicles on the roadway and poor road conditions have led to, in some cases, one mile long line of traffic.

Chang, who is also the deputy prime minister, argued that there is a rapid need for a long-term solution.

“We’re going to have to proceed pretty quickly to finding a route around Lucea, whether we do a road around Lucea, or we build a bridge across [the sea]. One way or another, we will have to find a way,” stated Chang, who noted that, “the town is, as you know, a small bay [surrounded by the Lucea Harbour] and it’s difficult to get there”.

Chang explained that the small coastal town has expanded commercially while being surrounded by two large hotels.

“There (Lucea) has become more commercialised in the sense that they have expanded the town. The commercial activities have increased. You have a large hotel — [Grand] Palladium—- on one side and you have another one (Princess Hotels and Resorts) opened on the Green Island side. So, people (the experts) are designing a better route around Lucea,” argued Chang.

“Until then, we’re going to put more policemen on the road and keep the traffic flowing. And we are keeping the road in Lucea in good repair as well,” added the deputy prime minister.

Similarly to Lucea, there are long lines of traffic leading in and out of the town of Hopewell, also in Hanover.

On December 12, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness pointed to the need for the construction of a bypass for Lucea and Hopewell.

Holness, who was addressing the official opening for Princess Hotels and Resorts — the operators of Princess Senses The Mangrove, an adult only property and Princess Grand Jamaica, a family property in Green Island — said the plans and alignment for the bypass are in place and allocations will be made available in the next budget to start the project.

“Four years ago, I committed that we would do the Montego Bay perimeter road and the Long Hill bypass. Both of them are no in progress, on schedule and will finish on time for the Jamaican people to benefit. As soon as that is done, the bypass will be done here (in Hanover),” argued Holness.

Meanwhile, the Hanover Municipal Corporation has announced that vending for Grand Market will only be allowed on Hanover Street and Millers Drive in the town of Lucea.

— Anthony Lewis