Study finds Trinis spend avg one month each year in traffic

[Dohplaydat]

WFH, decentralisation and staggered hours. I have not worked in a single country where office hours started at 8am, yet here we are with almost every office wanting people there at 8am for some ungodly reason

[Skanky]

Clearly you people don't realise that the gov't intentionally creates traffic and crime so that they could come in and spend/tief billions to 'fix' problems they themselves are creating.

It's as simple as lights with intentional bad timing. How many light with bad timing do you know that if fixed will ease traffic? That should cost little to nothing to fix but their solution......100M contracts,build new roads and roundabouts.

Trinis are waaaay more stupid than they realise.

[Chimera]

What country you find have smart citizens?

[jhonnieblue]

It’s not that really, even if they had mass transit trinis would only want to drive.
Having a car and the type of car is a status symbol. That’s the biggest problem.
To make it work . You need an efficient mass transit system, use the existing infrastructure and create a rapid bus transit by closing off one lane on the highway to only buses. Modernise the fleet and have new hubs everywhere. Create heavy tolls going into and out of the city.
And increase tax like crazy on all levels of cars starting with the highest luxury vehicles go down. You have to make owing a car not appealing.

[abbow]

^^ Singapore does this..You have to pay for a license to own a vehicle and its usually more than the cost of the actual vehicle. This basically forces the masses to use public transport which is hugely on time and reliable.

[ProtonPowder]

Some of you keep missing one of the biggest reasons that people have cars in TnT.

Trinidad is one of the most unsafe countries in the world. When you have your car, you dont have to risk waiting 30 minutes by the taxi stand, just for some PH with 3 hard back men inside to do god knows what. When the place routinely floods, you dont have to stand by south quay for 4 hours stranded. When a prison break or a bomb scare happen, you dont have to worry about how the hell you getting home.

For most of us trinis, is better to sit in your own car in dead gridlock traffic than risk anything else. When the country gets a little safer maybe that attitude can change.

[wing]

Some of you keep missing one of the biggest reasons that people have cars in TnT.

Trinidad is one of the most unsafe countries in the world. When you have your car, you dont have to risk waiting 30 minutes by the taxi stand, just for some PH with 3 hard back men inside to do god knows what. When the place routinely floods, you dont have to stand by south quay for 4 hours stranded. When a prison break or a bomb scare happen, you dont have to worry about how the hell you getting home.

For most of us trinis, is better to sit in your own car in dead gridlock traffic than risk anything else. When the country gets a little safer maybe that attitude can change.

X1000. Add also parents have to drop kids themselves rather than risk other options.

[zoom rader]

^^ Singapore does this..You have to pay for a license to own a vehicle and its usually more than the cost of the actual vehicle. This basically forces the masses to use public transport which is hugely on time and reliable.

Banana Trinidad Republic have no efficient public transport

[j.o.e]

It’s not that really, even if they had mass transit trinis would only want to drive.
Having a car and the type of car is a status symbol. That’s the biggest problem.
To make it work . You need an efficient mass transit system, use the existing infrastructure and create a rapid bus transit by closing off one lane on the highway to only buses. Modernise the fleet and have new hubs everywhere. Create heavy tolls going into and out of the city.
And increase tax like crazy on all levels of cars starting with the highest luxury vehicles go down. You have to make owing a car not appealing.

Same citizens will say the govt wicked and don’t want poor people have nothing

[zoom rader]

It’s not that really, even if they had mass transit trinis would only want to drive.
Having a car and the type of car is a status symbol. That’s the biggest problem.
To make it work . You need an efficient mass transit system, use the existing infrastructure and create a rapid bus transit by closing off one lane on the highway to only buses. Modernise the fleet and have new hubs everywhere. Create heavy tolls going into and out of the city.
And increase tax like crazy on all levels of cars starting with the highest luxury vehicles go down. You have to make owing a car not appealing.

Same citizens will say the govt wicked and don’t want poor people have nothing

Poor ppl?

Fete after fete waving bailiser.

It have no poor ppl in Trinidad, just cowards and arse lickers like urself

[Chimera]

zoom like yuh getting more crazy and dramatic with age

is everybody yuh attacking so

[aaron17]

Glad ah study was done otherwise I wouldn't have believed it. Steups

[j.o.e]

zoom like yuh getting more crazy and dramatic with age

is everybody yuh attacking so

Early stage dementia. Man very aggressive these days

[wing]

zoom like yuh getting more crazy and dramatic with age

is everybody yuh attacking so

Early stage dementia. Man very aggressive these days

More like adopting the traits and mannerisms of his handler Padarath, lots of hissy fits, clucking and ranting.

[The_Honourable]

Israel and pnm have him tizzic... low him

[Dizzy28]

Traffic because of lots of cars is one thing. But avoidable traffic because of duncyness is another.
Now that the cruise season is on the day and times for the cargo ferry to be in operation is reduced given that the Cabo Star uses the Cruise Terminal berth. On the days for ferry sailings there is a sheitload of traffic to get into PoS. We talking about an hour from NP to Hyatt scenes.

This is primarily because the trucks need to queue and because the City is allowing unfettered parking on Wrightson Road for private cars the lane that could have been used for the trucks to line up is filled by 9am from the Ferry Terminal all the way to Hyatt and beyond with cars. Trucks then have to take up a lane of Wrightson Road.

Is this really a problem that can't be solved?

[88sins]

ah yes, another useless study done.
& I dare say useless, because just like every other study, inquiry, census, and any other statistical analysis of anything and everything in this country, absolutely nothing will be done that remedies the issues that this information highlights.

But by all means, carry on.

[paid_influencer]

Traffic because of lots of cars is one thing. But avoidable traffic because of duncyness is another.
Now that the cruise season is on the day and times for the cargo ferry to be in operation is reduced given that the Cabo Star uses the Cruise Terminal berth. On the days for ferry sailings there is a sheitload of traffic to get into PoS. We talking about an hour from NP to Hyatt scenes.

This is primarily because the trucks need to queue and because the City is allowing unfettered parking on Wrightson Road for private cars the lane that could have been used for the trucks to line up is filled by 9am from the Ferry Terminal all the way to Hyatt and beyond with cars. Trucks then have to take up a lane of Wrightson Road.

Is this really a problem that can't be solved?

you should ask the city engineer. now that they collecting property tax, they have the resources to tackle problems like that thank the pnm great is the pnm

[AlphaMan]

Why are there so many cars on the roads in the first place.?
How many of you have multiple cars at home.

[DMan7]

Why are there so many cars on the roads in the first place.?
How many of you have multiple cars at home.

I could already hear the excuses a mile away for this question. Lemme take in front.

Everyone in a household needs their own car and can't carpool because each member of the household typically goes in a different direction to work and elsewhere which does not make car pooling feasible and each member of the same household need to have their own car. Does that answer the question?

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

Chambers want mass transit system, remote work policy to ease traffic woes

After another massive gridlock as a result of a fatality on the Beetham Highway yesterday and a reminder from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) that the average Trinidadian spends more than a month and year in traffic jams, the business community is calling for urgent changes.

AMCHAM TT, in responding to Guardian media questions, said the impact on traffic for everyone was extremely high and the hours wasted in traffic are not productive as it negatively impacts families and quality of life.  

The organisation said T&T needs an efficient mass transit system.

“This is impacted by safety–reality and perception. If people don’t generally feel safe, they will avoid public transportation as much as they can. So, crime also affects traffic.”

The chamber outlined that there have been many studies and solutions proposed.  

“It is our understanding that the Inter-American Development  (IDB) proposed a rapid bus system not so long ago. Ultimately, the entire infrastructure of the country needs to be upgraded. We know the Ministry of Works and Transport had been doing consultations on this last year. The goal should be to move the most people with the least number of vehicles,” the business group said.

In giving recommendations, the chamber said in addition to attempts to widen the roads and possibly implement an expanded bus system, there needs to be enforcement of the laws that lead to additional congestion.  

“The impunity of blocking the roadway in between the changing of traffic lights, driving on the shoulder and causing congestion when filtering etc, should be eliminated. Further, more efficient incident response and clearance would reduce the very significant impact that an accident has on traffic for several hours after the accident,” the group added.

T&T Chamber

Giving its perspective on the ongoing problem, the T&T Chamber of Commerce said businesses can review their operations and determine on a case-by-case basis, whether it may be feasible to offer a remote work option.

The business group believes that possible solutions that can be considered would be carpooling; encouragement to use public transportation (eg buses and water taxis), where possible to reduce the number of cars on the nation’s roadways; flexible working hours as determined by employers once it’s feasible.  

“It may also be worthwhile to consider efficiency and effectiveness reviews of the traffic plans which include one-way streets, parking zones; additional car parks with public transport routes based on the park and ride model in other countries; and incentives for carpooling such as a special lane on the highways which makes the commute faster,” the T&T chamber proposed.

Some of these solutions, it added, may require public-private partnerships and the chamber would support dialogue with the government to review and develop plans to address the matter.

Chaguanas Chamber

Also weighing in on the situation, Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce president Baldath Maharaj said traffic congestion within the borough of Chaguanas impacts businesses negatively as they lose an average of three productive hours per day. Maharaj noted the chamber is aware of the ongoing works along the highway that would reduce congestion during peak hours. However, he said one of the major issues in the borough was getting from East to West.  

“The third lane on the highway will assist those travelling along the highway. We are very familiar with the famous PriceSmart roundabout that filters traffic in all directions. This is a virtual gridlock during peak hours. Building either two overpasses or tunnels in the short term would significantly reduce the time it takes to get from east to west of the highway or vice versa,” he said.

Fyzabad Chamber

Fyzabad Chamber of Commerce president Angie Jairam suggested that decentralising the services sector in a real way will help.

Jairam said this country’s real problem was planning, and this has been lacking for too long.

“What is happening with our public transport system? This is an easy fix to make it attractive, efficient, easy to access, and safe throughout our country ... Why are we not introducing park-and-ride in the very busy areas? Crime is a real factor, very few want to take public transportation as it is unsafe to travel due to the crime and criminality in our country. Hence everyone prefers to use their vehicles for a sense of comfort,” she said.

Confederation of Regional Business Chambers

The Confederation of Regional Business Chambers said it views with deep concern the amount of time taken for people who reside in the eastern, central, and southern parts of Trinidad as they traverse into Port-of-Spain.

“There needs to be a serious effort by the Government to look at a decentralisation plan to move certain ministries and even other public sector services in different zones, so we will not have that volume of traffic into the capital city daily,” the chamber noted.

In addition, the chamber said the traffic management systems remain in a backward state, and no new or innovative thinking is being brought forward to address this very pressing issue.

Sinanan: An improved bus service can address the problem short term

When contacted, Works Minister Rohan Sinanan said the traffic problem could be addressed by an improved bus service in the short term followed by a long-term adjustment through road upgrades.

However, the minister indicated the cost of implementing such is a challenge currently, but it remains an option for the future.

https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/chamber ... 75242fffed

[VexXx Dogg]

This is a brainfart without any actual thought, but what about the concept of "hubs"

firetruck POS as the heart of it all.

Create a government service hub in the east, ensuring it's completely accessible via public transport.
Financial / legal hubs elsewhere, same logic.
Technology/services hubs etc etc

group the hubs by related services, and ensure a consistent pipeline of public transit, parking facilities etc.

There are areas in Central and the east to make this happen, with the infrastructure close by.

[Rory Phoulorie]

This is a brainfart without any actual thought, but what about the concept of "hubs"

firetruck POS as the heart of it all.

Create a government service hub in the east, ensuring it's completely accessible via public transport.
Financial / legal hubs elsewhere, same logic.
Technology/services hubs etc etc

group the hubs by related services, and ensure a consistent pipeline of public transit, parking facilities etc.

There are areas in Central and the east to make this happen, with the infrastructure close by.

Two decentralization studies were done. One by the PNM around 1984 and one by the UNC around 1996. Both studies looked at the area in Valsayn bounded by the UBH to the west, Southern Main Road to the east, CRH/Nestle/Cipriani Labour College/Valsayn Park to the south and the Eastern Main Road to the north.

No further studies were done by either Government after those initial studies. In fact, if I remember correctly, the UNC terminated the initial study before the final report could be prepared.

[foots]

This is a brainfart without any actual thought, but what about the concept of "hubs"

firetruck POS as the heart of it all.

Create a government service hub in the east, ensuring it's completely accessible via public transport.
Financial / legal hubs elsewhere, same logic.
Technology/services hubs etc etc

group the hubs by related services, and ensure a consistent pipeline of public transit, parking facilities etc.

There are areas in Central and the east to make this happen, with the infrastructure close by.

Two decentralization studies were done. One by the PNM around 1984 and one by the UNC around 1996. Both studies looked at the area in Valsayn bounded by the UBH to the west, Southern Main Road to the east, CRH/Nestle/Cipriani Labour College/Valsayn Park to the south and the Eastern Main Road to the north.

No further studies were done by either Government after those initial studies. In fact, if I remember correctly, the UNC terminated the initial study before the final report could be prepared.

Is decentralisation really going to help? Even at times when there is no school, you can spend ages stuck at Price Plaza roundabout, or anywhere in Chaguanas really. Even if the place gets decentralised, there will always be crazy traffic if the natural option is for each and every individual to drive their own personal vehicle at the same time. The school system is decentralised (schools are spread all over the country) and most of them are a traffic hellhole at pickup and drop off times....presumably because 100+ cars line up at once on a lil piece of road as parents come to get their kids. There are other ways to get around besides driving, but Trinidadian culture will reject those ways for the most part.

On another note, I hear the sentiment that driving makes you safer from crime. I hear about far too many people getting carjacked at gunpoint in Superpharm parking lots to believe that driving provides any level of safety from criminals.

[ProtonPowder]

Try getting a taxi from a superpharm at those times and see how that works out then

[maj. tom]

Is public transport the right answer to the human behaviour that causes traffic?***


Trinidad is in a position of many determined what-ifs regarding public transport and building new transport infrastructure and the usual scheme of political promise for a political party and its financiers to consolidate generational wealth and power. But really most of it is going to be waste and corruption like many endless projects that have drained the taxpayers of this country. Yes build more overpasses and roundabouts, apply more public transport and smarter road planning. But is there ever really going to have a true solution to traffic congestion with the technology we currently have?

❧
Luxembourg did an experiment in 2020. They offered free public transport to everyone. Trams, Trains, Buses. FREE.
Free public transportation was an attempt to relieve traffic congestion on the streets by motivating drivers to travel by bus and train instead.

Three years later the traffic levels surpassed pre-covid levels.
https://www.virgule.lu/luxembourg/un-trafic-routier-plus-dense-qu-avant-le-covid/26625.html


If increasing public transport was the answer, it really should have been solved by now by many large cities that do have the infrastructure available. The congestion plans by London and Singapore applied now are heavy tolls to enter the core city areas with a private car, and in Singapore that toll fluctuates depending on the time of the day. But that sort of plan removes the fundamental concept of owning a vehicle, and the dogma of democratic citizens being able to own private cars: the exclusive freedom of movement using modern technology.
☙

***Not really. The real answer to traffic is probably to get rid of human behaviour and human decision from the equation. That means AI. That means self driving solutions run by a real-time response network with practically unlimited processing power available to calculate millions of decisions per second within a grid. That kind of stuff won't happen until our civilization can make two things possible: 1. be able to harness excessive clean energy in order to 2. run super computers at the level of what is portrayed as quantum computing in sci-fi.

[redmanjp]

The self driving AI cars would still need to carpool otherwise with 1 drivers per csr that will still cause traffic.

[paid_influencer]

i donno man. plenty trinis in NYC right now that use public transportation every day. same trinis, no different than here, they does eat roti with fork but otherwise same behaviour.

[pugboy]

how much time is spent in traffic due to incidentals like accidents , road blocks , construction?

[Chimera]

is 10k or more additional cars on the roads every 4-6 months too eh

more and more people driving everyday