Traffic Signals in Old Harbour to be Turned on Soon

Mayor of Spanish Town, Dr. Andrew Wheatley, has said that the traffic signals recently erected in the Old Harbour town centre should become operational within the next two to three weeks.
“I want to signal to the Old Harbour community that very soon, the traffic signals in the square of Old Harbour will be commissioned. We anticipate that within another two to three weeks, these lights should be operational,” the Mayor said as he addressed the Old Harbour Development Area Committee’s (OHDAC) community expo held yesterday (November 25) on the grounds of the Portmore Community College’s Old Harbour campus.
The installation of the traffic lights is part of initiatives to reduce congestion in the town. Recently, two bus/taxi parks were constructed to provide adequate parking for public transport operators.
The facilities, Dr. Wheatley said, came out of talks held with the taxi associations, which indicated that their greatest need was that of proper parking facilities.
“We initially promised them that by the end of 2009, we would have developed a taxi stand for the taxis in Old Harbour. We were able to do that within three months and also add a second taxi stand/bus park with the total cost of over $15 million,” he informed.
He urged the operators and commuters to make use of the facilities. “Building taxi stands and bus parks alone cannot solve the problem that we are trying to deal with as it relates to traffic congestion in Old Harbour.
“It takes the will of the people to support these initiatives. It takes the will of the community, the will of the business operators and most importantly, the taxi operators being disciplined enough to use the facility that they ask us to create for them,” Dr. Wheatley said.
“I can state clearly that we will not tolerate any indiscipline as it relates to persons wanting to create their own mini taxi stands on the streets of old Harbour, there will be zero tolerance in that regard,” he added.
The 7th annual OHADC expo was held under the theme: ‘Community Empowerment For Nation Building’ and attracted some 30 exhibitors from public and private sector entities.