NOBA should think again on bus stop proposals

Fri May 16, 2014

Editor: Recently the president of the National Omnibus Association ( NOBA) called upon the traffic branch to place two additional bus stops out of Kingstown – one at First Caribbean Bank and the other at the entrance to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.{{more}}

Of course, they can’t be serious! Can you imagine the chaos as the crowd gathers at the entrance of the hospital and then there is a vehicle trying to get into the hospital through its main entrance, due to an emergency, but finds it difficult since many vans would be stopping there to pick up passengers? Think also of the difficulty the security officers would have in monitoring activities in and out of the hospital, because of the crowded entrance. Should a bus stop be placed there, the entrance would be crowded and so will block the entrance of the hospital.

While, at the First Caribbean Bank, we have to realize that it is a business place where people go in and out of the bank and to the ATM. Should there be a bus stop there, again it would be a crowded area and so can intimidate persons trying to do legitimate business at the bank, since there would hardly be any privacy, especially at the ATM. This area should be left free so that even the handicapped and senior citizens can go into the bank to do business without fear of being watched and also fear of being robbed.

Can you also imagine what traffic congestion there would be if bus stops were placed at these spots? I would rather think that NOBA should press for a bus stop into Kingstown at the entrance of the Central Water and Sewerage Authority office. On any given day in the week there are always many persons at the entrance waiting on a van to go into town. Since there is no bus stop there, then the van drivers can be charged for illegal stopping.

When you consider this recommendation, after the one in front of the Fundamental Bible Church into Kingstown, there is no other bus stop except in front of where the nurses’ hostel was. Surely some considerations must be given to this recommendation.

I trust good sense would prevail with the members of NOBA and that these points be taken on board seriously. Thank you.

Kennard King