Belize city drivers, prepare for more changes! Last night we reported on the city council's decision to restrict the flow of traffic on North Front Street between the Swing Bridge and City Hall. Some drivers called it unilateral and outrageous, but today City Hall stood by its decision and said the adjustment will ultimately ease congestion. The Council also announced that Hyde's lane will now be opened to traffic for the entire day, even when there are hundreds of school children streaming out of Holy Redeemer Primary School, breaking a practice introduced in 1997 when a schoolchild was crushed by a butane tanker. So why the change? Well today we sat down with the Traffic Department's Acting Coordinator Glen Rivero for an explanation.
Glen Rivero, Coordinator of Traffic
"The first area we decided to implement is North Front Street. Why? Because the tourist village is now embarking on a zoning system where that whole area is a tourist zone and in so doing it will go all the way down to the Swing Bridge. There is on the water side of it, there is a board walk all the way coming towards the Marine Terminal. So on the traffic side of it we have to implement something to alleviate the congestion of traffic likewise. So this is why we started with North Front Street and we decided to do it on a trial basis, until the 24th of this month."
Keith Swift,
You got a look at it yesterday, what difference did it make?
Glen Rivero,
"Well to us here at the technical and professional side of it, it is working but for the ordinary person in the field, it might look a bit different."
Keith Swift,
What is the success judged by?
Glen Rivero,
"Because when we look at the peak period, for Regent Street alone, it's a clear flow. If you go all the way over the Swing Bridge on to Queen Street, it is also cleared of traffic. We did a study on Handyside Street and Daly Street at the junction with Queen Street and it was also flowing, compared to other days. This tells us that it is working."
Keith Swift,
Now you've reopened Hyde's Lane. Why?
Glen Rivero,
"Yes we've now reopened Hyde's Lane to vehicular traffic. In so doing I am appealing to the general public to be very very careful when using that portion of Hyde's Lane because there will be children using the same street at that time during the school hours to go to school and to return from school."
Keith Swift,
Aren't we waiting for an accident to happen? Aren't we endangering the lives of these student for the tourists since you want to flow smoothly by the tourists village and you're opening up a street where children are?
Glen Rivero,
"Now we are doing the feasibility study not to facilitate tourists. This is to facilitate the congestion of traffic on a whole in Belize, not for any specific amount, it is for the citizens of Belize City to have a better traffic flow."
While Rivero is the Coordinator of the Traffic Department all decisions are made by the traffic advisory board which is headed by the city councilor in charge of traffic Dean Samuels. The traffic restriction on North Front Street will only be in effect from 6 am to 6 pm.
