The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Our roundabouts lack the necessary road signs to keep the motoring public safe.

Before the New Providence Road Improvement project in 2009, the Island of New Providence had only around seven roundabouts on the entire island. Fast forward today, and we have in excess of 30 with more scheduled to come online with Village Road at Queen’s College, and five more on the new Gladstone Road.

Unfortunately, the Road Traffic Department & the Ministry of Works Road Signs Department have been an abysmal failure so far. I frequent the western district of New Providence, and there is usually a traffic accident on a weekly basis with motorists trying to traverse those roundabouts, with inadequate signage.

Right now, the majority of roundabouts have only white road marking arrows with the left lane designated for left and straight ahead only, and the right lane designated for right and straight ahead only for two lane traffic entering a roundabout.

The 100-pound gorilla in the room is that motorists are using the left lane to traverse right on the roundabouts, thereby cutting across traffic on the right lane trying to go straight ahead, thereby causing accidents.

We need signage erected before the motorist arrives at the roundabout indicating that they need to select their lane, if going left or straight ahead or right and straight ahead. Additionally, the white road markings at most roundabouts have disappeared due to wear and the elements, and the government has not seen fit to keep these markings painted and clearly visible. Hence, the chaotic state at most roundabouts. To add more confusion, traversing a single lane entering a roundabout is totally different then traversing a dual lane entering a roundabout.

The bottom line is that we need more signage at the roundabouts, in addition to a driver education campaigned on TV, radio, newspapers and social media on the correct usage of a roundabout. We need consistent police enforcement of our traffic laws. If implemented we can reduce accidents thereby keeping our citizenry safe.

BA SWEETING

Nassau,

February, 2023