There is one more roundabout in Belize City tonight. This morning the City Council officially opened a roundabout on Princess Margaret Drive in front of the entrance to Saint John ’s College. I was there for the ribbon cutting.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
There have been mixed feelings about the construction of roundabouts in Belize City but the one erected on Princess Margaret Drive just across from Saint John’s High School should improve safety for the over two thousand students who attend that institution as well as make one of the busiest roadway a safer place for both motorists and pedestrians. In addition, on the approach to the roundabout two pedestrians crossings as well as have been put down on Princess Margaret Drive not only to help slow down traffic but students and pedestrians can now safely cross the road. The structure represents unity and in just six days SJC students will be returning to classes for the new school year.
Frank Garbutt, President – SJC
“We have a total population of 2,500 students and close to 300 employees. If you combine that and you think about now when there are less boys riding bicycles and everybody just about coming in cars or driving alone and trying to manage all of that traffic coming in, without any system in place it was
just utter chaos and not a nice thing every morning for students to start off their day with. So what you have here today is a great sign of what will become improvement. It will not solve all our problems, some of it we are trying to resolve on the campus itself, but definitely out here it will slow down traffic so pedestrians can cross and not run in when vehicles are moving.
It will allow cyclists to be able to enter the college in their own path and area, not along with vehicles and pedestrians. So when the system is completely finished in other words we will have a designated area for drivers, designated area for pedestrians, and a clear designated area for cyclists as they move into the campus. For us that means safety for all.”
On hand for the ribbon cutting was the Belize City Mayor Zenaida Moya who told 7News that while the roundabout is there to protect lives plans are already underway to not make the structure a hazard for motorists especially at nights.
Jacqueline Godwin,
“I know driving through this area at night it is poorly lit. Will there be any reflectors placed on this roundabout as well as on the pedestrian crossing?”
Zenaida Moya, Mayor, Belize City
“Yes we have already discussed with our traffic manager to ensure that there is adequate reflection. We are putting in the requisite colours that
should be there for safety as well but clearly you cannot overstep, when it comes to safety, so those reflectors and cat eye will also be placed so that we have maximum safety features for those, as I told you, hundreds still attend school at night and we need to protect those people.”
The structure will not work to make SJC students feel more safe to and from classes but the other students as well who pass the area to get to their nearby high schools.
Zenaida Moya,
“We have hundreds of young people coming out, particularly during lunch time, during the evening time after class, they go in the mornings, and SJC is one of the schools that we have not only classes during the day but classes also at night and we have a lot of schools along this stretch.”
Wayne Usher, Councillor, Traffic
“Not only does it aesthetically look well and the symbolism of it, it stands for unity and that is stretches the imagination, we want to unify public and private sector. We want to have the Belize City Council working with good corporate citizens. All of this in unity and it strengthens the safety of this area. In unity there is strength you see so this is a wonderful occasion. I feel very proud to be part of it.”
There will also be added features posted to ensure safety for all.
Zenaida Moya,
“By the infrastructure we are putting in, the street signs, we have erected more signs, no parking zone, the painting of the sidewalks, plus in our meeting with the campus staff, they said that wouldn’t be adverse to maybe finding the resources to pay for a fulltime traffic officer in this area. Now that is wonderful news for us. So we initially will try ton have people out here everyday during those peak hours and then see how we can work with the campus further to have that fulltime person out here.”
And added outside security means more safety for the students when they leave the campus.
Frank Garbutt,
“Belize City is just not as safe as it used to be on a whole and over here where Belize Electricity Limited donated the bus stop, before used to stand around and people would come pick on them and what not. We will now have a security personnel who will come out here with the boys as they are waiting to be picked up or the young ladies as they are waiting to be picked up. We have also been trying to get students to understand that don’t be brandishing cell phones and other things that attract the individuals, keep those things at home. Coming to school means textbooks, pens, rulers, and so forth. You don’t need all those fancy expensive electronic equipment and most importantly if you do walk home most of the time they have kids who are in their neighbourhood, please try and do it in a group, don’t try to do that on your own. They do have knapsacks which also attract individuals. So safety in that arena is going to be more a community effort but most definitely we think by having a security out here and a place where they can stand and parents know will make everybody feel a little bit more comfortable.”
The roundabout was sponsored by Hans and Nadini Bhojwani Foundation. It is the second such structure they have funded along the Princess Margaret Drive.
