Monique Hepburn, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
CONTRARY TO the views of Councillor Donald Colomathi, the police's traffic department said that its use of the 'bus bay' along Howard Cooke Boulevard in Montego Bay to mount speed traps and spot checks is standard procedure and not an infringement on the rights of motorists.
"From our point of view it is essential to monitor that section of the road," said Constable Angilla Ellis, who was speaking on behalf of the traffic department in an interview with The Gleaner yesterday. "We have at least 15 accidents between Alice Eldemire and Howard Cooke Boulevard on a daily basis."
At last week Thursday's monthly meeting of the St. James Parish Council, Council-lor Colomathi, who represents the Spring Mount Division, criticized the police for the practice of mounting speed traps and spot checks in the bus bays along the boulevard.
INFRINGEMENT
In raising his objection to the traffic management situation, Councillor Colomathi said he was calling on Montego Bay's Mayor, Councillor Noel Donaldson to raise the concern with the relevant authorities as he felt that it was an infringement on the rights of motorists who wish to use the facility.
"If the facility is to be used for parking and they are occupying the same space, at what stage do the people actually get to use it?" asked Councillor Colomathi, in raising objection to the practice. "Your worship, I want you to take it to the relevant authorities so that they can make an assessment as to whether this is appropriate or not. It seems to me that someone is trying to infringe on the rights of the people," continued Councillor Colomathi. "I think it is wrong."
However, in defending the police's use of the 'bus bays', Constable Ellis said that law enforcers were merely making a special effort to boost their monitoring of the boulevard because the frequency of accidents is a matter of serious concern.
"It is not a matter of infringing on the rights of others but we have to protect motorists," Constable Ellis said. "The stop lights are working but motorists continue to disobey the lights and at times the results are fatal."
