No warning, no sign, just traffic chaos

THE EDITOR, Madam:

On Monday, August 31, 2026, hundreds of motorists, including myself, encountered a massive traffic jam for hours because of road repairs on Dalling Street in Savanna-la-Mar. No sign had been posted to indicate that the street would be closed or was closed to traffic. As a result, motorists travelling to work and attending to other activities became completely stranded, as no movement in either direction was possible.

Motorists, including myself, attempted to turn back because of the hundreds of vehicles trapped on the street. However, some rogue motorists, who appeared unaware that it was a permanent traffic jam, left the waiting lane and created a dangerous situation for those trying to reverse.

Under Jamaica’s Road Traffic Act, delegated contractors working on behalf of public agencies are bound by law to comply with the National Traffic Control Standard. For example, signs should be posted well in advance to indicate that a road will be closed, and personnel should be deployed to divert traffic when work begins.

This was not done, and therefore falls within the realm of legal liability for unauthorised obstruction, which is a criminal offence under Section 57 of the Road Traffic Act.

I am calling on the minister and the National Works Agency to ensure that contractors obey the law and do not become a law unto themselves simply because they have been awarded contracts to repair roads.

What if an ambulance or a private vehicle were transporting a sick person to the hospital? What if a fire truck needed to respond to a fire along that street? Emergency vehicles would either have had to drive through the hot tar, damaging the vehicle, or a patient could have died while stuck in the traffic jam, all because the contractor failed to obey the law.

Dr John D. Kelly

Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland