Holiday traffic ties city in knots

If you work in Belize City and are watching the six thirty p.m. version of this newscast then I must offer congratulations. The way holiday traffic has been going, if you left at five, you’re lucky to be home. For drivers, the following scenes may be familiar.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Cars-a-honking, whistles a blowing, tis the season to get stuck in traffic.

With only three more days of holiday shopping left, Belizeans are in a hurry to get where they are going…but they are not getting there any time soon.

Motorist #1
?Forty-five minutes on average; yeah it happens.?

Motorist #2
?I just concentrate and be patient right; just keep focused on what I have to do.?

Delivery-man
?Sometimes I have to stop at different business places to drop off FedEx packages so I try to deal with it on a day to day basis, especially in Christmas time.?

Janelle Chanona
?Are people rude, or are they letting you in and out??

Delivery-man
?No, there are some people who are considerate who really give you da break from time to time. ?

Taxi Driver
?Traffic really heavy out here right now. I don?t like it at all.?

Janelle Chanona
?What does it mean for business??

Taxi Driver
?Bad for business; gas is expensive.?

Coordinating the chaos are Belize City?s traffic wardens who are asking drivers for a little respect.

Allen Nunez, Traffic Warden
?Most people seem to not be paying attention to traffic officers, pedestrians likewise. Most people seem to be caught up in their own world on their celphones while driving and that is a very bad thing. You need to stay focus especially at major intersections where there are people crossing and the traffic officer is there to assist and give you direction and you just need to be paying attention so everything could flow smoothly.?

According to Belize City?s Traffic Manager, Kent Gabb, his officers are getting help to deal with the Christmas congestion.

Kent Gabb, Traffic Manager
?Every year, it just keeps growing more and more. I don?t know if you just came from out there, but right now on Regent Street it?s crazy as Albert Street. ?

Janelle Chanona
?How is the Traffic Department coping with all of this??

Kent Gabb
?Well we are just doubling our efforts. What is good for us is that we are getting help from two other quarters. We have the police department that is out there and the tourist police are also out doing their thing. We are working together.?

?My tip to drivers is that don?t try to park too close to where you want to go. Park a little distance away, safely and walk to where you want to go and that will help to alleviate the congestion in the downtown area.?

But the reality is whether you walk, run, ride or drive, these hectic times are bound to claim victims.

The upside of the traffic situation is that many Belize City residents are discovering the joys of walking.