MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Two years after the $75-million Greater Mandeville Traffic Improvement System was implemented, councillors here are reiterating their calls for a review of the changes amid congestion concerns.

The matter was raised after Mandeville Mayor Donovan Mitchell said he intends to meet with police Superintendent Carey Duncan to address a delivery schedule for the Mandeville town centre.

“It is becoming terrible when these trucks are delivering; they block every entrance into the town. They block every street, and you just have to wait [on them]. We have to do some scheduling, it can’t… be business as usual,” he said during Thursday’s meeting of the Manchester Municipal Corporation.

Councillor Mario Mitchell (People’s National Party, Bellefield Division), in joining the debate on congestion, pointed to problems faced by motorists with the traffic changes that were made.

As part of the Greater Mandeville Traffic Management System, Caledonia Road functions as a one-way from the direction of Scotiabank to the New Green Road intersection.

Among other changes in the Mandeville Traffic Management Improvement Plan was the opening of the median along Main Street to allow traffic from North Race Course Road and Villa Road.

“All 15 of us [councillors] can agree that the changes that were made are definitely not working…and traffic [can] affect productivity and the economy. Mandeville being an important economic [hub] in Jamaica, something must be done,” said Councillor Mario Mitchell.

“The new traffic arrangement that took place two years ago is not working as it is supposed to…We need to make changes. We ask that the NWA [National Works Agency] be invited here to say what are the adjustments that are going to be made,” he added.

Councillor Karl Smith (PNP, Knockpatrick Division) shared a similar sentiment.

“I am in total agreement…The flow of traffic should be taking it out of the town and not into the town. Currently the flow of the traffic is taking all of it into the town [centre] of Mandeville, which should not be so,” he said.

In response, Mayor Mitchell said the municipality will write to the NWA requesting a meeting to discuss the issue.

“What the NWA did was not what the council recommended…We need to have a meeting with the NWA and the police. We have not had any traffic meetings for years. We are going to be sending a letter to the Mandeville office, copied to the Kingston office, to say that there has not been any traffic meeting and we need now to review the traffic changes that were made in the town centre,” he said.

DONOVAN MITCHELL… we need now to review the traffic changes that were made in the town centre

SMITH… currently the flow of the traffic is taking all of it into the town centre of Mandeville which should not be so

MITCHELL… pointed to problems faced by motorists with the traffic changes