HAS any of the present government ministers sat down behind their steering wheels in the East-West Corridor (EWC) traffic for over two hours on mornings and two hours in the evenings, every working day?

It is quite evident, between Grand Bazaar and San Fernando, on the Solomon Hochoy Highway and Uriah Butler Highway that there is no stagnant traffic. Under-passes and overpasses are the answer.

Traffic-lights are to regulate the traffic and will never stop traffic-jams and bottlenecks.

The Grand Bazaar intersection requires special mention.

According to a newspaper article, consultants could not conceive the idea of a two-lane roundabout and were worried about the bottleneck that may be created at the lighthouse. The alternative of a road through the Caroni Swamp from Barataria to Chaguanas was proposed.

First, two-lane roundabouts do exist in Trinidad and Tobago and also other parts of the world.

Second, an alternative road will not reduce the traffic at the lighthouse.

Third, what about the eco-destruction of the Caroni swamp.

(The Nariva Swamp is already being surveyed for destruction).

Fourth, additional lanes are cosmetic, costly and useless like the four lane road leading to the two lane Caroni Bridge, south-bound.

The solution to the EWC traffic may be: Overpasses at major intersections, removal of all traffic lights and crossing traffic, decentralisation of government offices.

The construction of overpasses at major intersections will result in free flowing traffic.

A simple east-west overpass above a roundabout is a start.

This allows free flow east-west traffic.

The underlying roundabout thus takes care of the intersection traffic. These overpasses can be constructed at Aranguez, Grand Bazaar, Curepe, Trincity, Piarco, etc.

Once the overpasses are built, all traffic-lights are removed and all crossing traffic must be stopped.

This may mean that some persons will be inconvenienced by having to drive to an intersection so as to change their direction of travel.

It may be viewed as an inconvenience but one must take into consideration the time spent waiting for the traffic-light to change and more importantly, the huge numbers of persons who must stop for that one person to cross the EWC.

Surely, the population of Valsayn will realise the economic benefit, to themselves, their businesses and to the national economy.

In addition, the removal/decentralisation of major offices and ministries along the EWC, the Uriah Butler highway and the Solomon Hochoy highway will result in less traffic heading towards Port of Spain.

The Ministry of Health should be situated near to or within the compound of the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex/Grand Bazaar intersection.

The Ministry of Education at the Freeport intersection. The Licensing Office and Ministry of Transport at the Trincity intersection.

The Ministry of Agriculture at the Aranguez intersection. The Ministry of Energy at the Couva intersection.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Piarco.

The Ministry of Tourism at Caroni Bird Sanctuary, Pointe-a-Pierre, Claxton Bay, Chaguanas, Charlieville, Barataria, Curepe, Arima.

This reduces the early morning and afternoon bottleneck heading into and out of Port of Spain, for the traffic is now spread out.

The Grand Bazaar intersection will also require an extra ramp to take east-bound traffic into a southerly direction.

Whether this is in the form of the Humphrey arch or a second level overpass, is left to the Engineer.

Another Commission of Inquiry is not required. These intersections do not have to be built in isolation.

Businesses and cultural happenings can be developed at these points.

On BBC Television, a similar structure to the Humphrey Arch was built in Newcastle as a millennium structure.

It was well-lighted and made into a tourist attraction with shopping centres, museums, parks, etc.

Intersections can thus be made into economic ventures with easy access to the main roads.

At some point in time, sooner rather than later, the economics of the EWC traffic must be examined: waking up and leaving home before 5 a.m.; two to three hours in traffic; reaching to work tired and frustrated; decreased productivity levels and decreased concentration whilst at work; leaving early to miss the traffic; two to three hours in traffic on returning home; reaching home after 7 p.m.; same routine every-day; how about the daily expenditure of the vehicle for the five to six hours in traffic?

The wear and tear of the vehicle; the emissions of each vehicle; the cost to the national economy, hidden to many but substantial by amount.

In addition, we must make use of our postal service that has become close to perfect.

Agencies of both the public and private sector must encourage the public to make requests by post rather than having to present in person to transact such business.

This requires levels of efficiency and responsibility that is very absent in our society.

The result is more time at work or home, less time on the road and less time moving from office to office to transact many forms of minor business.

Postage is one dollar to and one dollar from.

Compare this to a short drop that is now three dollars one-way.

The implementation of a system of mass transport whereby cars can be securely parked in local areas or on the outskirts of major cities and towns, thereafter, utilising buses and taxis to be transported to the inner areas is imperative.

Are expensive systems such as the $16 billion rail system really needed?

But seriously, who, what, when, where and how will the plight of travellers, especially those along the EWC and the Grand Bazaar intersection be relieved?

But seriously …