SERIOUSLY! How hard can it be to use a zebra crossing nowadays? Gone are the days of drivers slowing down for pedestrians. Even more concerning are drivers speeding behind a pedestrian while still on the zebra crossing — Bananas!
I’m still unsure on the number of vehicles that frequent my neighbourhood along Grantham Rd but it’s a big deal to cross at the black and white lines in high traffic.
Exactly how many vehicles are there in the country? How many more are coming? And how many more do we need?
These are questions on everybody’s mind, bigger questions when you’re caught in traffic — and even bigger ones for MPs to put a finger on a plausible solution.
Fiji Bureau of Statistics figures forecasts more vehicles with 2015 and 2016 recording the highest intake than ever before totalling about 110, 763 registered vehicles.
This includes all types of vehicles and in spite of Fiji Roads Authority’s admission of the fact that the country doesn’t have enough roads to cater for the current number — container loads of vehicles bombard our shores according to second-hand car dealers. Smells like over ripe bananas! If you ask me. (refer towww.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=369309)
I must say The Fiji Times letters to the editor dated 28/3/17 is worth a read. One writer wittily suggests a car like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang might just be the solution of our traffic woes. And I totally agree him.
I think motoring’s future holds the possibility of futuristic flying cars — though I can’t help but think whether there would be traffic jams up there too!
Grantham Rd hums the same tune as other neighbourhoods. Colleagues share similar sentiments about the growing traffic along the Suva-Nausori corridor, Tamavua stretch and the greater Suva area. Growing vehicle numbers are ever more alarming.
Colleagues living along the Suva — Nausori corridor say there’s a police officer at almost every zebra crossing.
On Grantham Rd at 7:30am, despite there being a pedestrian (zebra) crossing built for the purpose of “safe crossing”, a police officer stands “at the crossing” every morning — just to help people cross “safely” ironic but alarming.
It is just as alarming as the rising sea level. The pedestrian crossing is a broken sea wall and the officer is the wall re-enforcement. Traffic is the rising sea water — so what does that make us pedestrians screwed?
I feel for those that wake up extra early to get to work to avoid getting stuck in traffic but it’s the best thing to do — learning to adapt.
According to various websites, Fiji’s case is nothing new compared to other parts of the world. Another The Fiji Times letter writer’s suggestion to operate a barge or ferries as a solution to road traffic is definitely not a bad idea.
Needless to say roads such as Grantham Rd face a threat, “an invasion” that now requires a lot more of our attention on the roads. The overwhelming presence of motor vehicles require us to re-emphasise the golden rule of crossing the road and a sober mind behind every wheel.
And it’s probably the best time to wind your clocks a few minutes ahead to cater for traffic issues — or you could just buy yourself a helicopter to avoid traffic — which ever.
Grantham Rd is a developing area and as such paves the way consequently for more traffic flow.
So how safe are we on Grantham Rd or anywhere else for that matter?” My answer falls within the scale of one to five in a scale of 10.
Fiji roads are killers, orchestrated by human error but I’m happier using Fiji roads compared with third world countries. Imagine driving a vehicle in Iraq — that’s definitely a 9/10 — I wouldn’t dare walking that’s for sure.
Website www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov says insurgency tactics that characterise modern warfare, such as suicide car bombs and roadside bombs, have the potential to significantly impact road traffic injuries in conflict affected-countries. As road traffic incidents are one of the top 10 causes of death in Iraq.
Surprising though a BBC report says countries with lesser cars are more at risk of accidents read website http://www.bbc.com/future/story The Telegraph report (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science) is also an interesting read on what causes traffic congestions.
