While addressing a press briefing on Friday, Prime Minister Skerrit frankly declared that presently the government does not have the resources to build a parking lot or a parking building in the city of Roseau.
He acknowledged that parking in Roseau continues to be a major issue raised by motorists, and he believes that everyone must play their part in finding a solution to that problem.
“Parking, I don’t think [the] government has the resources to build a parking lot or a parking building at this time. So, I’m not going to promise somebody we are going to buy land that is so expensive in Roseau to build a parking…,” Skerrit stated.
He continued, “I believe we have to institute maybe parking meters, and increase the fines for parking indiscriminately. Those who want private parking in front of their businesses, increase the fees substantially and build bus stops as far as practically possible outside of Roseau itself.”
This he said will limit the number of vehicles coming into the City.
“We have a proposal, the government may have to go back to the proposal or put a bus terminal across the river, adjacent to the River Side apartments,” Skerrit noted.
He mentioned that the government had a comprehensive plan from Public Works at the time where bus drivers were engaged in consultation, “and many people do not want that.”
“So you have to address the issue of all of these buses coming into town, there are so many bus stops and then every business in Dominica, small and big, wants a ‘no parking’,” The Prime Minister stated.
Meanwhile, he made it clear that the police are not in a position to grant anybody ‘no parking’.
“It has to go through a legal process,” Mr. Skerrit explained.
That is, “through the Cabinet, an SRO has to be effected and it has to be gazetted.”
He continued, “You cannot take the government road for your private parking and don’t pay government. So, all of these things we are going to be putting fees.”
Mr. Skerrit added, “If you want a ‘no parking’ you would have to pay a substantial fee…because you are denying the taxpayers access to the road.”
He believes that with the Roseau Enhancement Project, some elements of addressing the parking will be instituted.
“But we have to find a way to limit the number of vehicles coming in through the city,” he stated. “What we have done as a government is that we have built several bridges…”
He mentioned, again, another proposal of having a bypass at the Botanic Gardens to alleviate the traffic on Bath Road.
Interesting!
you think you can collect $64,000 a month from parking tickets and meters eh!
I doh know why Skerrit thinks he has all de answers
who is de Minister of works nuh
Putting objects at the side of the road to reserve parking space is a traffic offence in most countries throughout the region. This practice should be immediately discontinued. The entire present traffic situation throughout the country should be reviewed to make the necessary changes for a better driving experience and fewer vehicular accidents and casualties.
The potential exists for making boat loads of money (government)from traffic fines in Dominica when the government becomes serious about enforcing the island’s current laws. Things will only improve when motorists feel the pain of stiff fines which are long overdue. Too much craziness on our roads, speeding, overtaking, tailgating to name a few.
It is time we install parking meters in Roseau to collect some revenue to help with the upkeep of the town. The construction of a government owned parking garage is probably something that’s not possible at this time but we can begin addressing the parking issues with at least the installation of the parking meters. This will keep out some of the motorists since alternative parking will have to be sort when all meters are taken.
Five hundred years ago, in his town plan for Milan, Leonardo Da Vinci separated pedestrians from traffic. His rationale was that the streets should be reserved for “gentlemen” and that “carts and barrows” take a different route. It is only recently that enlightened towns and cities throughout the world have caught up with his thinking.
The operative word is “town plan”, and that we do not have for Roseau.
My DNO Commentary ” Roseau, the Need for a Radical Rethink” goes beyond stopgap measures of parking meters and reserved parking places.
https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/commentary-roseau-the-need-for-a-radical-rethink/
I respect the police 100%,but when it comes to traffic they are doing a bad job,slackers.The chief of police live at Canefield east,every morning between 07.00 and 08.00 hours there are traffic problems on Roger road and the E O Leblanc highway.A police should be detailed to control traffic there for one hour Monday to Friday between 07.00 hrs and 08.00 hrs.The police allow all Tom,Dick and Harry to put all kinds of stupidness on the roadside (chairs,pallets,drums blocks etc)and say they saving space for parking.The police are so slack 95% of them do not know that is obstruction, and anybody found doing that can be charged for obstruction.Those are the things DNO should post instead of all the negative fake news,propaganda and lies about Skerrit,Dominica and the government.The police are doing nothing about the traffic problem in Roseau.Parking 15 feet from a corner has been dead for a long time,and the thing is the police see it every day.That is getting paid for doing nothing.
LP you make a valid point for a change. However, even if Mr. Valarie was to post officers at Canefield etc what difference would it make when the real commissioner is Rayburn? Lestrade and Carette tried that and before you know it the Canefield cops disappeared. The road should split in the area of Minias Supermatket and another bridge built over the river next to W Supermarket while to road to fond cole via Morne Daniel opens up.
That would facilitate police switching traffic and wherever the road falls in Fond Cole become a four lane highway up to Goodwill road. From there, only vehicles with permits to be inside the city for the island. for certain days should be allowed to go further. So there you have it. Not rocket science. That would be a REAL major development project. Yes certain infrastructures will have to move but so be it. Now don’t say I did not help
let the ppl in them apartment pay a fee so u can address the situation and stop playing politics…and all those u paying to be ambassador for Dominica for doing nothing…stop it….stop wasting money on nonsense
On the one hand you cannot deny taxpayers access to the public road, and on the other you have to find ways to limit the number of vehicles accessing the city. As if businesses do not pay taxes or their services do not contribute to the economy.
The issues are also presented as if they are new, after a couple of decades in office, one imagines that the Prime Minister could have listed efforts to alleviate traffic and parking in Roseau (and the government has indeed made some advertent or inadvertent interventions) and what is planned to alleviate the problem. Or maybe there was no plan, even including what appeared to have been a plan.
The Prime minister’s words seemed a little disorganized. somewhere in there might be some sense.
You are 100% correct… just like in Portsmouth the PM is addressing the traffic issue in Roseau through ‘what people have said’ and what ‘others don’t want’ instead of proper study and traffic engineering. The wheel does not have to be reinvented here. Roseau is one of a thousand cities around the globe who have had to deal with this and best practice is documented and available. Whatever measures are taken they are going to be unpopular .. that is just the nature of the beast. But if the impact on Roseau’s commercial life and by extension the wider economy is properly evaluated (including the environmental impact) in regard to traffic alleviation, a sensible conclusion will arise. Viewed through that lens , a parking building may well turn out to be cost effective.. Get organised … do the work.