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Warrens Roundabout – Politicians Must Listen to Citizens

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Warrens-Bridgetown

Why do politicians ignore feedback?

The BU household vividly recalls the period during which the Greenland Landfill debate was a hot topic. Despite the sensible feedback offered by Barbadians the government of the day forged ahead with the project and today we are saddled with the result –millions of tax dollars wasted.

Former Minster of Transport and Works John Boyce has come out in defense of the work Government has done to improve traffic congestion in the Greater Warrens, St Michael, area – (Barbados Today 11 February 2014)

In 2014 after the government constructed the Warrens (oblong) roundabout circa 2012 there was an avalanche of criticism about the project and a flood of feedback was offered to the ministry by the public. One does not have to be an expert or consultant to determine that the Warrens roundabout was poorly designed based on the number of accidents and near misses that occur weekly.

How on earth can the authorities permit traffic to cross two lanes to enter the Simpsons complex when exiting from the West? How does one allow traffic to cross two lanes of traffic to enter the Warrens gas station when exiting the roundabout from the East?

Barbadians were pleased however to hear Minister Michael Lashley address the concerns of Barbadians when he finally admitted last week that the Warrens roundabout will undergo remedial work.  Millions of dollars later what was obvious to ordinary Barbadians from the initial construction will be addressed.

No doubt a few will be smiling all the way to the bank.

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104 responses to “Warrens Roundabout – Politicians Must Listen to Citizens”

  1. Wily Coyote Avatar
    Wily Coyote

    What about the WILDEY TRIANGLE, black Bagan traffic designers are totally out of their element, let’s give the problem to some kindergardeners to solve.

  2. Own Area Avatar
    Own Area

    Coyote

    Warren’s was designed by Abdul Pandor, last time I check he was not a black bajan road designer. The problem with Warrens is quite simple, get rid of the need for both showrooms of Simpson Motors to have direct access to the highway.

  3. David Avatar
    David

    The turn right into SOL Warrens should be stop by constructing an island and forcing traffic to the KFC roundabout. Obviously that decision was influenced by the ownership of the gas station and not good sense.

  4. Wily Coyote Avatar
    Wily Coyote

    @Own Area

    He is in fact Bagan, he was appointed to the Drainage Unit by David Thompson from Chairman of NHC and then to lead the redesign of that ABC HIGHWAY. Does not sound to me to be any prerequisite for a highway designer, more nepotism than experience.

  5. Well Well & Consequences Observing Blogger Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences Observing Blogger

    That tilting Warrens rouudabout is a stupidly designed death trap, I noticed it upon one of my returns….and why is this dude Pandpr involved in so many different government controlled matters involving bajans…which corrupt ministers set him loose on the population.

    …. not forgetting that drivers DO NOT like to stop at the crosswalks for pedestrians to cross from the H&B Hardware side to the Chefette/Massy side even when all other traffic has stopped as a courtesy, one lane of traffic will continue speeding and refuse to stop for pedestrians to cross……they do not look out for pedestrians.

    Every jackass living off the backs of the population have a say and the population do not have any say and are never listened to by these uppity, arrogant government ministers.

    And let’s not get started on that Wildey 3 or 4 lane death trap.

  6. Well Well & Consequences Observing Blogger Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences Observing Blogger

    Niw we know Wily..

    …..and why is this dude Pandor involved in so many different government controlled matters involving bajans…which corrupt ministers set him loose on the population.

  7. Watchman Avatar
    Watchman

    @ wily coyote

    A designer of wells , named Inniss , from the Drainage Unit of MTW came onto a lot of land without asking the owner, and placed a well in the wrong position ,the well made the flooding situation worse , Inniss boldly stated nobody can tell him where to put a well, the well was supposed to be 40 ft, but, it is 20ft.

  8. Wily Coyote Avatar
    Wily Coyote

    @WELL WELL

    “…. not forgetting that drivers DO NOT like to stop at the crosswalks for pedestrians to cross”

    Assuming Barbados Crosswalks at Roundabouts follow UK traffic laws, the pedestrians can only enter the crosstalk when there is no oncoming traffic, ie: vehiclar traffic has the right of way at roundabout crossways, pedestrians right of way is dependant on NO TRAFFIC.

  9. Wily Coyote Avatar
    Wily Coyote

    @Watchman

    NEPOTISM RULES.

  10. David Avatar
    David

    There are three issues with pedestrian crossings in Barbados.

    1. Many need repainting.

    2. Many are located very close to the exit of the roundabout.

    3.The attitude of many pedestrians is poor. They saunter across the crossing sometimes carrying on cellphone conversations -no problem.

  11. Own Area Avatar
    Own Area

    Here is who the designers and government pandered to when designing this nonsense
    Simpson Motors
    Williams Industries
    Shell & Sagicor
    Chefette
    Cusumers Guarantee
    KFC

    A blasted disaster.

  12. David Avatar
    David

    @Owen Area

    Absent from you list is the public.

    What the no prolix highligh seeks to do is how ministers can twist on a dime and we fail to hold them accountable.

  13. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    Wily,

    You are wrong. Pedestrians have the right of way at pedestrian crossings. That is the problem with some of the new immigrants from Eastern Europe. They do not stop. I hope y do not drive in Britain.

  14. Own Area Avatar
    Own Area

    It is a total disaster. At least the one at Wildey is for the greater good of keeping the teeffic moving in that area and has had a great and positive impact on that regard. The Warren’s roundabout and the project generally is piss poor and shame and blight on a country where the people are suppose to be intelligent.

  15. Well Well & Consequences Observing Blogger Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences Observing Blogger

    Ah think it’s different in Barbados Wily, while a courtesy, if 2 lanes of traffic stops for pedestrians to cross, the drivers in the 3rd lane should not be speeding along, pretending they are unaware and distracted, which can not only kill the pedestrians but is discouteous to the drivers who have the courtesy to stop and results in holding up traffic, creating longer lines at the roundabout, while the pedestrians wait for one driver who have the courtesy to stop and let them cross….lights may need to be added for pedestrian crossing. …and will only happens when these uncouth drivers kill someone at the Warrens pedestrian crossing…as that Transport driver killed a pedestrian in her 80s at the pedestrian crossing in the bus terminal…they do nothing, take no action until someone is killed, these useless governments and even then it is still ignored and takes decades to actually happen.

    Besides…Barbados has too many damn roundabouts, it’s like an addiction.

  16. David Avatar
    David

    Have to admit the triangle is not as problematic.

  17. Lee Avatar
    Lee

    I can’t believe that we want to spend money on anything that does not improve our foreign exchange competitiveness at this time. Just teach users to use the oblong with due care and consideration. This is simply NOT priority expenditure. Bajan drivers ride their gas pedals like if fuel is free. Get real and hold your horses Barbados, we are heading for a wall !!

  18. Well Well & Consequences Observing Blogger Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences Observing Blogger

    Wily…in North America one lane of traffic is allowed to move at the same time pedestrians are crossing, so everyone has to be vigilant…of course ya get the cockups where a pedestrian is killed because of speeding or drunk driving etc…but it is clear and if I remember correctly…in the Barbados driver’s manual…when a pedestrian steps off the sidewalk….you, the driver, stop and wait until they have cleared the road before driving iof..,.but these new uncouth drivers do not even wait for you to clear the road before zooming off…..some people are disabled and cannot skate across a streets or 2 streets…

    ……besides, it takes no more than 20 minutes to get anywhere in Barbados…the island is that small…so what’s their hurry and they always seem to be in a hurry.

  19. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Throw away the T-Squares and circle templates.

    https://www.aimsun.com/aimsun/new-features/

  20. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Some of you like to boast about how great everything in North America works…..

    2016 the deadliest year for pedestrians in Toronto in over a decade

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/2016-the-deadliest-year-for-pedestrians-in-toronto-in-over-a-decade-1.3891808

  21. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    Roundabouts were first introduced by the Dutch; they are now busy removing them with traffic lights.
    I remember the advertisement on television teaching people how to drive at roundabouts. It is still a problem.
    How can people pass their driving tests when not capable of driving at roundabouts? I say again, we need a dedicated traffic police team to sort out this traffic chaos..

  22. David Avatar
    David

    Not really Hal.

    The chaotic traffic situation is just a symptom of a societal problem.

    We have these machines that can do 0 to 60 in 3 seconds on an island not conducive.

    We need a Barrow type leader to say no car greater than 1300 cc to be sold for leisure and limit one per household. There is the opportunity to implement ferry and park and ride services.

  23. Well Well & Consequences Observing Blogger Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences Observing Blogger

    Who is boasting…have you seen the deaths by speeding drunk driving, careless driving and just plainzoned out drivers in the US…..

    Just a month ago an 18 wheeler was driving near Prospect Park and smushed a lady into unrecognizable mincemeat, they just picked up a bag offkeshfrom thestreet, she was crossing the road and the driver drove merrily away and swore he never saw her and never even knew he hitsomeone…when he was found a day later…which is understandable given just the size of tractor trailers.

    The issue is too many bajan drivers are careless and act like the lives of pedestrians dont count and dont matter…….just like a few years ago when they were deliberately running down and killing bicycle riders because they felt they slowed them down.

  24. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    The Warrens roundabout is fine.

    Barbadians simply drive like hangmen: speeding and driving too CLOSE to the next car in front. If everybody would drive not faster than 30 km/h in said area, everything would be fine.

  25. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    David@8.57a
    Tron@9.08a
    Both contributions make lost of sense.We wonder if the flyovers were not the better outcome to some of these traffic nightmares.I often remember how Bermuda limited the type and capacity of vehicles and how they dealt with water management.Of course Bermuda is subject to an oversight which continues to serve them well despite the corrupt wannabees who clamber for change.

  26. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Gabriel
    Bermuda has a National Supervisory Committee.

  27. Wily Coyote Avatar
    Wily Coyote

    @Hal Austin April 12, 2017 at 7:32 AM #

    Your wrong HAL, pedestrians typically have the right of way on crosswalks with the exception of those at the entrance and exit of roundabouts, go check your UK Road Rules.

  28. Gabriel Avatar
    Gabriel

    Re my post @9.22a …what I meant to write was……’Both contributions make lots of sense’…..predictive texts sometimes take the cake conveying the opposite of intention.

  29. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    Wily,
    Well I have been driving for all these years and got it wrong. The Highway Code, paragraph 11, states quite clearly that until you put a foot on the zebra crossing traffic does not have to stop, but once the pedestrian has stepped on to the zebra crossing traffic must stop. Have a look at Zebra Pedestrian Crossings Regulations 1971.
    I will also tell you a story: in the winter of 1968/9 a young black woman was killed on a zebra crossing. At the inquest the driver claimed he did not see anyone. He got off.

  30. London Morris Avatar
    London Morris

    Someone needs to tell me how big intelligent people could sit down and design that shite at the Warrens roundabout and then follow through and build it? I tell you, the answer is not that complex and it certainly is not due to incompetency of those involved.

    The shite roundabout is neither fish not fowl, it is everything to everyone to nothing to all at the same time. That roundabout has been designed and built to all of the commercial owners in the area with no concern whatsoever about the safety of the driving or pedestrian public.

    Only in crappy Barbados could that be conceived and built.

  31. London Morris Avatar
    London Morris

    And while I am on it……………………… look at the shite that has been built at the entrance at Coverley. That is a clear and ever-present danger to driving public for which a number of accidents have already occurred. It has probably also contributed to or been responsible for an accident which caused the death of a child.

    I make bold to say that if that was my child who lost his or her life because of the shite at Covereley’s entrance then NOT even high residential perimeter walls, security guards and security at government offices could keep those responsibly SAFE from my own form of justice.

  32. Tron Avatar
    Tron

    The worst traffic in Barbados is between 7-9 AM and 3.30-6 PM, caused by insane one way streets like Princess Alice Hwy/Hincks Rd or the triangle of doom at Rubis Wildey/SOL Wildey and roundabouts not working.

    Barbados as a nation loses at least 10% of GDP due to the bad traffic! People wait in their cars instead of doing business.

    Solution as said on BU:
    – limit the number and engine size/power of cars per family and lower duties for import at same time to beef up purchase power for other items
    – ban gas/diesel cars after 2025, use electrical cars instead; Barbados has plenty of solar power
    – lower top speed at critical points like roundabout to 30 km/h
    – lower top speed at night to 50 km/h
    – install speed cameras
    – enforce the law
    – repair the roads

    However, we all know, this will never happen, given the insanity of local self-governance.

  33. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    @David April 12, at 8:57 AM… re ” The chaotic traffic situation is just a symptom of a societal problem. We have these machines that can do 0 to 60 in 3 seconds on an island not conducive.”

    Quite true. Small island roads with too many cars. But why do we “…need a Barrow type leader to say no car greater than 1300 cc to be sold for leisure and limit one per household.”

    Are you suggesting that commonsense does not otherwise exist in the minds of the Bajan people. Perish the thought!!!

    But seriously, it is reasonable to opine that Bajans are absolutely happy to have three or fours cars per household…per the remarks attributed to the JMGM administration that such an eventuality was the epitome of success for the island and supposedly Bajans so ‘driven’.

    That concept of ferries/park & ride is now long past it’s sell by date. Frankly things like ride-sharing easily supplants that heavy investment and basic ‘inconvenience’.

    But the Bajan people are the ones who need to drive the politicians on this. We appear to desire the fanciest air-con big cars and do not want motorized bicycles, scooters and the like because it’s too frigging hot and we can’t parade with our peeps wid dem.

    More open parks space with nice gardens to relax solves the latter issue. Not sure about the heat thing tho! LOLL.

    — Incidentally, when did the accepted road traffic codes/laws change internationally? Whether in US, Can, LatAm or Europe (on roads I have used) the same rules re ped crossing applied.

    Unfortunately pedestrians get killed on cross-walks much too often…nothing particular about Bim or UK for that matter.

  34. David Avatar
    David

    @Dee Word

    Who own the auto dealerships? The large garages? Importantly what about the revenue generated from this line of business? Yes you need a strong leader lead us via a different path.

  35. angela Skeete Avatar
    angela Skeete

    No what is needed are for the laws to be enforced and get these stupid drivers off the road.The idiot that killed the policeman he is a typical example of some of the ignorance that drives on the highway daily and doesnt care
    Police enforcement is necesary in the prevention of accidents.but no everybody here has a bleeding heart until the next victim loses their life because of a jack a.ss then arms wave hell break lose and nothing happens.
    Enforce the laws and fix the problems

  36. FearPlay Avatar
    FearPlay

    @David 8:57 AM post “We need a Barrow type leader to say no car greater than 1300 cc to be sold for leisure and limit one per household. There is the opportunity to implement ferry and park and ride services.”
    I have two neighbors with five family members in each household and they own ten cars between the two families spread between SUV’s, high end saloon, truck and regular vehicles. And yet, we claim that we are suffering and can’t get ends to meet. This may be sour grapes on my part but why does anyone need a Jaguar, BMW, Mercedes, Audi or Range Rover to get from point A to point B on an island 14×21. What it boils down to is that these high end high performance vehicles are required to move around the egos of the owners. This is how they remind us how much they are worth and to hell with the lack of foreign exchange for day to day survival.

  37. David Avatar
    David

    @Fearplay

    What you wrote about the ego trip is probably true but isn’t the behaviour encouraged by government because of the resignation to support the status quo?

  38. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    Minister Michael Lashley address the concerns of Barbadians when he finally admitted last week that the Warrens roundabout will undergo remedial work.
    ………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Where can this remedial plan be seen,

    When is it scheduled to start and be completed,

    Who will be responsible,

    What will be the cost and which budget will it come from?

  39. David Avatar
    David

    @Vincent

    In response to the question when he assured very soon.

  40. Vincent Haynes Avatar
    Vincent Haynes

    David

    Chuckle…..I thought so…..pissing in the wind.

  41. FearPlay Avatar
    FearPlay

    Definitely David. Take for instance some or most of the members of government (both parties), – before elections some of them would be happy with a lift in a ZR because of their humble means but immediately upon appointment to a position in government they are driven to own some of the biggest and the best that bribery can buy. Just wait until after they leave office and the vehicle reaches the end of its useful life, well its back to the old struggle buggy. With traffic congestion growing on a daily basis, we definitely need to limit the number of cars per household.

  42. Well Well & Consequences Observing Blogger Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences Observing Blogger

    London…….Fruendel and .the government ministers owned by Mark Maloney refuse to tell him to remove thd illegal and dangerous structure he built at the entrance of Coverley, which contributed to the death of that child and which Mark Maloney lied about, with a smile.

    The ministers are the biggest problem on the island both them and their corrupt minority owners.

  43. London Morris Avatar
    London Morris

    FearPlay

    What makes them so disposed to show off their ill-gotten gains? A smart man would be humble and not seek to draw attention to himself given his position and the obvious assumptions that go therewith.

  44. London Morris Avatar
    London Morris

    Everything has its own form of justice and retribution is never far behind.

    While people may ascribed to Mr. Maloney a lot of attributessuch as and including dedication and perseverance it is a major character flaw if a man is willing to put the commercial and financial interest above and beyond caring whether its consequences have dire and life threatening implications for fellow human beings.

  45. David Avatar
    David

    @Fearplay

    Interesting comment when judged against the TCP decision not to do a TIA for the Hyatt project.

  46. London Morris Avatar
    London Morris

    David

    Hyatt was given a pass to proceed. That passage was navigated and captained all the way from the bottom to the top and back down again.

    Coverley was built because a man needed thru put for his pre-cast concrete plant and we know what an eye-soar we have been left with there on the ABC highway. The GOB and people of Barbados got stuck with that project cause each and every unsold house must be bought back by the MOH and NHC.

    What do you think Hyatt is and why do you think it needs to be 15 storeys? So besides the blight this will be on the roadscape into Bridgetown, what do you think the taxpayers will be saddled with if and when all the concrete has been deleivered and erected, the project finished and the hotel struggles to be viable in that presently less than desirable location?

  47. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    David

    If you own a dog and he bites you once

    A certain action should be taken

    When you allow that dog to continually bite you

    Then, the dog is the master and you are the canine.

    Once that relationship has changed, and for so long

    It is then impossible to bring the dogs to heel, ever

    Lest a tectonic event, or series of events.

  48. Well Well & Consequences Observing Blogger Avatar
    Well Well & Consequences Observing Blogger

    The bottom feeding governments, both of them, are known to bend over backwards and overlook the destruction of their own people and the island to accommodate these same small time crooks and minorities the government ministers aid in financially elevating. …with taxpayer’s money and now in the last 9 years of this useless government…with NIS pensioner’s money.

    And Maloney had the nerve some weeks ago to still try to dip his hands in taxpayer’s money through the same dumb government ministers….because that Hyatt project is costly….it will suck the life out of anyone stupid enough to put money into it.

  49. FearPlay Avatar
    FearPlay

    Let’s look at Hyatt; what financial guarantees will be put in place to ensure that the GoB and people of Barbados do not awake one morning to find that this is not just another project, hurriedly approved, only later to discover that there are insufficient funds to achieve completion. This one is in the heart of Bridgetown. Has anything like this ever happened before? Could it happen again?

  50. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Roundabouts cost less to maintain than traffic lights.

    Nothing wrong with roundabouts as long as the signs and lines on the road are clear.

    The problem on the roads is the brassbowl idiots that do not use common sense.

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