Traffic changes coming for Half-Way-Tree

Date Published: 
10 Jan 2008

COME Saturday when the newly built Half-Way-Tree Transport Centre opens for business, motorists travelling through the area should experience some major traffic changes designed to ease congestion in the busy commercial district, according to the transport ministry.

Michael Saunderson, transportation system specialist at the National Works Agency, announced Tuesday that South Odeon Avenue, which was closed three years ago to facilitate construction of the centre,would be reopened to vehicular traffic in a southerly direction.

All route taxis, including those operating from Maxfield Avenue to Half-Way-Tree, and hackney carriage operators will now have to terminate at the Spencer James Terminal at Mandela Park.

When travelling in a southbound direction from Constant Spring, the Mandela bus park is to be used by all rural buses. However, when travelling north-bound, all buses will travel along Eastwood Park Road to Derrymore Road to Constant Spring Road and will use the North Odeon bus stop.

No buses will be allowed to terminate at the top of Molynes Road.

But the changes have not gone down well with some operators who were part of Tuesday’s stakeholders meeting held at the centre regarding the new changes.

The operators, who raised several concerns, including the inability to obtain licences for robot routes and congestion at the Spencer James Park due to the changes, were assured by Transport Minister Mike Henry that the changes would be reviewed.

According to Henry, the changes were not engraved in stone and were subject to reviews depending on their ability to work.

"Not everything we do will be cast in concrete so we may have to revisit where a bus stop or parking is located," he said, reiterating that only Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) buses would be using the centre.

He said with the JUTC losing $150 million a month, routes cannot be given to everyone to the detriment of the stateoperated bus system.

"We have to look at how to rationalise all of that and improve quality and not have everyone running across each other fighting for what is limited," he said.

Victor Green, centre manager, said the facility would be closed at 11:30 pm and reopen at 4:00 am. He said that the tender process has been completed for all shops and that persons have already begun to install fittings for these shops, but disclosed none would be ready for Sunday’s opening. 

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