From left: Nick Vieira, owner of The Orange Street Grocer; Minister of Transport and Works Santia Bradshaw, parliamentary secretary Dr Romel Springer and MP, Minister of Labour Colin Jordan tour Speightstown. (Picture by Jameel Springer)

Chapel Street reverts to two-way system

Article by sherrylynclarke@nationnews.com

Chapel Street in Speightstown, St Peter, will revert to a two-way system.

This about turn from the Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW) comes exactly one week after the new Speightstown Traffic Management Plan was put in place.

Minister Santia Bradshaw made the announcement on Thursday following a tour of the northern city with parliamentary representative and Minister of Labour Colin Jordan, other MTW officials (traffic management and drainage), business and property owners, the Barbados Tourism Inc. and the National Conservation Commission.

Bradshaw said at the time the changes were announced, the intention was always to review them because “we never expected that anything we put in place, that that is going to be the only way it can be done”.

The decision was taken after also speaking with residents who indicated the challenges associated with the change in Chapel Street.

“Many of them have been affected in terms of the traffic flow. A number of persons have obviously not been able to get to their businesses. So there have been some challenges by making that particular decision, and as a consequence, on the review with the traffic management division, we have agreed that we would actually reverse that change and we will have the Chapel Street area return to a two-way system,” Bradshaw said.

By weekend, she added, the public relations machinery should be in place to inform members of the public.

The other one-way measures in Speightstown seem to be working.

READ: Traffic changes in Speightstown

Parking has also been identified as a concern for both visitors and locals who do not want to park too far from where they conduct business.

Bradshaw, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, said the BTI has a car park in the area and there has to be discussion on designated parking spaces for tour buses, as well as more lighting to make it safer at night.

When the traffic changes were first announced some longstanding property and business owners were very vocal in their disagreement, saying there was no consultation with them.

There have been a few people who have been very boisterous, very loud and shared their concerns and we appreciate that,” Bradshaw added. (SAT)