T&T's BREAKFAST: BREAD AND TRAFFIC JAM

WELCOME TO THE URBAN LIFE, WHERE THE FAST LIFE IS SURPRISINGLY...SLOW

Describe a typical commute to and from work.
Chances are it started in traffic, led you to the East-West Corridor and ended in traffic.

The E/W corridor, with the focus on the capital city PoS, is the jobs hub of the country. If you want a relatively good paying job, with not too ridiculous hours, enough places to kick back after work on a Friday and not in the Oil and Gas sector, then PoS is the place to be.
This is the wish of too many people. And too many people get their wishes coming true. So, everybody is heading into PoS and environs on a morning. And heading out in the afternoon. At the same time. Resulting in our "favorite" past-time in Trinidad.

This is not an issue isolated to Trinidad though. Even in our much slower sister isle, Tobago, the congestion problems are creeping up. Especially during peak periods like Easter, Carnival and Christmas. Let's zoom out more. The urban areas of the world, by large, are experiencing and fighting a failing battle at combating this vehicular traffic problem.

As the density of persons in and out of an area increases (place becomes more urban), the need for mobility also increases. The direction we have taken is motorization and diffusion of the automobile.
This has resulted in what we see everyday, traffic congestion coupled with parking problems. The demand for transport structures have not been met especially in PoS. This has caused space consumption problems and competition. Roadways have become parking spots, further adding to the traffic pile-up.
To add insult to injury, after you arrive in the city, your commuting time continue to escalate as the time it takes to find a parking spot and take up to 20 minutes.

But, can this pandemic be combated at all? PTSC buses run the length and breadth of Trinidad and Tobago. Most times, they enter and leave City Gate and other respective terminals half filled. Why? This is a measure implemented to discourage persons from coming into the urban areas with their personal vehicles. But it doesn't seem to be working well. Why? Some would argue that it's an uncomfortable ride during peak hours with overcrowding and noisy children. Then, during non-peak time, the schedules are most unpredictable. This adds to the growing discomfort of citizens and the use of public transport, forcing them to turn to their own cars. Therefore, the circle is completed and traffic woes grow.

Cars (and personal transport as a whole) are seen as a sign of status, besides their convenience. So, for the urban traffic problem to see any sort of resolution, the mindset of the people must change. Riding bicycles are seen as uncool and representative of the underprivileged.  The positive effects of bike sharing initiatives such as lower amounts of congestion within the urban space and improvements in air quality must be emphasizes. The "elite" must be encouraged to start to show the rest of the population that it's the "cool" thing to do. We all know we have a monkey see, monkey do culture in T&T and that seems to be the only way to start to get people to think in a certain way. 

Source: adsoftheworld.com

The traffic problem can begin to see a turn around if the population realize that cars aren't crutches and that their are alternatives. Our dependency on the automobile must decrease. Other public transport infrastructure must be upgraded however. Or possibly, the frequency and amount of buses in non-peak periods may increase if the demand for it provides the incentive. 

Signs that say to slow down have become redundant during peak times as there is no possible way to go any slower. 

Source: skyscrapercity.com

We must recognize our issue, come together and strive to make a difference. Let us put aside pride and "what people would think" mentalities and take the bus or make a bike share within urban areas a note-worthy and practical venture to undertake as a country. And possibly, our highways may look like this once again at all periods during the morning, afternoon, evening and night. 

Source: skyscrapercity.com

All in all, traffic congestion is problem alive and well in T&T and one which we must start to pay serious attention to. 

Sources:

http://www.newsday.co.tt/business/0,66452.html

http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/caloi_bikes_traffic_jam

http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch6en/conc6en/ch6c4en.html - The Geography of Transport Systems - Urban Transport Problems by Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue 

http://www.ctr.kth.se/publications/ctr2000_03.pdf - The Traffic Safety Problem in Urban Areas by J. Archer & K. Vogel

skyscrapercity.com