Motorists travelling between St Joseph and Mt Lambert are being introduced to a new way of navigating the Eastern Main Road, as the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation rolls out a reversible lane control system aimed at easing traffic congestion.
The new system is designed to give motorists clearer direction on how and when lanes can be used.
Chief Traffic Engineer at the Ministry of Transport, Adande Piggott, said the system uses clear signals to indicate whether a lane is open, closed or changing.
“When a motorist sees a green arrow, the lane is open in the direction in which that motorist is to travel. When a red X is displayed, the lane is closed, and the motorist must not enter or remain in that lane. A yellow X means that the operation condition of the lane is changing. Motorists should not enter the lane, and vehicles already within it should safely vacate the lane. The yellow turning arrows indicate that the centre lane may be entered only for turning movements. These are simple symbols, but technically they provide something that the old system could not provide effectively.”
With the new signals guiding traffic, motorists are being reminded that understanding and obeying the controls will be critical to the system’s success.
Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Eli Zakour said road users must remain alert, particularly during the adjustment period.
“Technology can assist us in making our roads safer and more efficient but responsible behavior by road users remains essential. Road safety is a shared responsibility and each of us has a role to play. With the introduction of the reversible lane control system, motorists also have a responsibility to pay close attention to the lane control signals and signage, remain alert and follow the directions provided. As with the new system, there will be a period of adjustment, and I ask everyone using this corridor to exercise patience and caution as we become familiar with this new arrangement.”
Member of Parliament for Aranguez/St Joseph Devesh Maharaj said the system could help ease longstanding congestion along the corridor.
“Hopefully we can get the traffic moving a little more smoothly. This is a large point here. Sometimes on an afternoon at the Mount Hope by the hospital there, there’s a big traffic backup. So we are always trying to find innovative ways of handling the traffic within the constraints of the current system. So I think this will go a long way towards alleviating it. We’ll be monitoring it, of course.”
MP Maharaj also said he understood the system to be the first of its kind in the world.
But while the technology is intended to improve traffic movement and safety, Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander said its effectiveness will ultimately depend on motorists following the rules.
“How do we get our citizens to listen and obey without having a police officer stand there or down there and always have to direct you to do the right thing? If something is implemented for your safety as a driver and also for the passengers in your vehicle, then I think they should go out of their way to ensure that they follow the rules. In the absence of that, we will continue to have carnage on the nation’s roads.”
The system will be remotely monitored and controlled from Traffic Management Headquarters in Caroni, allowing authorities to centrally oversee operations and make adjustments to traffic flow as needed.