Heather Robinson

" Sunday, December 10, 2005 was the 82nd anniversary of the birth of Jamaica's fourth Prime Minister, Michael Norman Manley. The anniversary celebrations took the form of a lecture by Dr. Manning Marable, professor of public affairs, political science, history and African-American studies at Columbia University in New York.

The lecture was scheduled to start at 4.30 p.m in the Life of Jamaica (LoJ) auditorium on Barbados Avenue in New Kingston. On a regular Sunday evening, the journey from my home to LoJ would normally take about four to five minutes.

However, on arriving on Trafalgar Road, I noticed an unusual amount of motor vehicles parked in the gas station on St. Lucia Avenue. Knutsford Boulevard was blocked off at the Grenada Crescent intersection, so it made no sense trying to turn left from Trafalgar Road. Instead, I proceeded to Antigua Avenue where I made a left turn, that would under normal circumstances, place me immediately in front of LoJ's Grenada Crescent car park.

Biggest mistake

This was to prove to be my biggest mistake, as ahead of me was another roadblock, being manned by a uniformed traffic police officer. So here was I, stuck between about six vehicles in front and behind me. I was within 30 yards of my destination and unable to get there. A call to the monitor at police Control (119) for assistance resulted in my getting out of my vehicle and walking towards the uniformed police officer.

The traffic policeman when asked to assist in clearing the traffic jam, explained that he had been placed there by his supervisor, and could not move. Two plainclothes police officers carrying M-16 rifles also refused to assist in clearing the traffic jam.

Eventually, after utilising my best reverse skills, I was able to exit Antigua Avenue, via a car park, and eventually reach my office at Holborn and Trafalgar roads, where I parked and then walked back to the LoJ auditorium.

During my 40-minute journey, I did not observe one single police officer directing traffic or advising motorists of alternative routes to the stated destinations. And neither can I remember reading or hearing any traffic change notices for New Kingston from the police for Sunday, December 10. Apparently what took place in New Kingston was motor racing, and this clearly did not need to have the requisite planning and advisories done.

On Sunday, thousands of Jamaicans gathered on the sidewalks of New Kingston to see motor cars cornering and careening at speeds that clearly made it unsafe for drivers, spectators and, of course, the very police sworn to protect us all.

Objection

As one who works in New Kingston, I take great objection to this type of activity preventing me from going about my legitimate business. As a Jamaican who has had to deal with all the consequences of losing a brother in a motor vehicle accident that was not his fault, I am unable to understand how so many persons were clearly comfortable, while cars sped past them at abnormal speeds on the narrow streets of New Kingston.

The biggest question is, however, will this happen again? And who will be held accountable if there is a tragedy when one of these racing cars gets out of control and ploughs into the crowd?

Jamaicans who knew Michael Manley well will remember him as a man who did not like slow moving vehicles, but because he loved us all so much, he would never condone such dangerous and reckless actions that could possibly produce multiple tragedies. New Kingston is the financial capital of Jamaica, it is no longer a race course.

Heather Robinson is a life underwriter and former member of Parliament.