Motorists still can’t get hang of traffic lights
It seems to be our pet peeve here at Channel Five and if we stand accused we’ll happily plead guilty. But don’t blame us when someone dies as a result of an ignorant driver ignoring our infamous traffic lights. This morning I was back on Freetown Road.
Twenty four hours after the new two phase traffic light system was installed at the Cinderella Plaza intersection, there has been nothing but confusion and traffic mishaps at the junction. The problem says Kent Gabb, the Traffic Manager, is that drivers do not understand the new system, especially those drivers who are making left turns. Such was the case in a minor traffic accident earlier toady, involving Minister Hubert Elrington. The Minister, who was not at fault, was apparently heading down Freetown Road and as he approached the middle of the intersection, a green pickup truck coming in the opposite direction, suddenly made a left turn into Douglas Jones Street. According to Elrington, there was little he could have done to stop his pickup from crashing into the back of the vehicle.
Hubert Elrington
“Well, it’s a simple traffic accident really. I was going from north to south along Freetown, came to the lights, the lights was green and continued going and suddenly this pickup try to get in between me and this space that is here, which is an impossibility. But as I have always said, if we only try to be a little bit more courteous. That is the problem with the accidents situation here in Belize. We are not courteous drivers, we do not give the other driver a half a second or a half a minute to really get out of the way. I did my best to avoid hitting him, but there was no way I could have stopped the vehicle; he just pulled right across.”
Luckily no one was injured. But according to the taxi drivers who operate from the Cinderella Plaza Taxi Stand, it will not be too long before someone is seriously hurt. The men say one problem is that drivers are not being careful and two, the Belize City Council should have at least educated the public on the new installation.
Taxi Driver
“The problem is that the drivers, they do not understand. Whenever they will make a left turn, you have got to pause and see that the traffic is cleared to make the left turn.
The authorities who install these lights should have get over the air and explain to the public about what is taking place at this said spot, right. That’s the whole problem.”
Gabb says drivers must be reminded that once they are given a green light and want to make a left turn, they must be aware that vehicles in the opposite direction may also have the green and will be moving across the intersection. Therefore, the driver making the left turn, must wait until all traffic on the left has been cleared. Gabb says they will not only be educating the public on the new installation, but traffic wardens as well will be posted at the junction to assist with the flow of traffic.
All I can add is my own personal plea for motorists to please drive with care. I don’t want my next story from Cinderella Plaza to be followed by a funeral announcement.
