The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has ramped up its presence in major towns and parish capitals, as the country enters the high traffic period during the Yuletide season.
Speaking at a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank recently, a member of the JCF’s Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB), Superintendent Lloyd Darby, emphasised the importance of strategic interventions to ensure smoother traffic flow, despite challenges posed by potholes, increased road users, and seasonal demand.
“We are out in our numbers. You know traditionally we scale back most of the administrative functions [of the JCF], so we can put more police out on the road. PSTEB leads in that aspect; we are out on the road, there’s high visibility and effective presence,” he said.
“Peak periods occur, because everyone tends to leave for work, school, or other activities at the same time. Our goal is not to eliminate peak traffic, given the volume, but to ensure the traffic keeps flowing,” Darby said.
He pointed out that what causes gridlock is when persons block the major intersections that are regulated by traffic lights, adding that if there is gridlock at one intersection it impacts the entire road network.
“Strategic placement of officers at critical intersections prevents blockages that can gridlock entire road networks. Even if traffic moves slowly, it eventually clears, unlike the standstill situations caused by gridlock,” Darby said.
To address congestion, particularly at high traffic ‘red zones’ and moderately congested ‘orange zones’, the JCF has deployed additional officers across key areas. During the holiday season, these zones are monitored more closely to address peak-hour challenges and seasonal surges in road usage.
Meanwhile, Darby is advising motorists that the JCF will not be lenient in its enforcement of the law, as it manages the high traffic areas.
“We will be doing both. Enforcement through the issuing of tickets is a deterrent. We want people to see what we are doing, so that they don’t do the same thing. You would appreciate, though, that we can’t be everywhere at the same time,” he said.
“Motorists that practise these things, they have local knowledge. They know where the police are, persons have apps on their phones that also tell where the police are, and so when the Police are present, these things hardly happen, but we continue to combat it,” he added.
