The intriguing issue of mini-roudabouts

Friday, June 23, 2006

Dear Sir:

One of the subjects that certainly gets people's immediate attention is to say the words, "mini-roundabouts". Almost everyone has an opinion on them and these are as diverse as you would expect in a country where the drivers come from at least one hundred different countries.

The exception however, is the mini-about between Cable & Wireless and the Royal Bank of Canada building. Voices are in unison as almost everybody thought the previous arrangement to be ill-advised. So many must have given a sigh and a smile when the old mini disappeared. A Net News columnist, Carol Hay, gave whoops of delight as she recently wrote in the paper.

Sorry Carol, if you look at the markings on the road it can be seen that the mini-roundabout will be back soon. Hopefully the National Roads Authority will use some of the Cable & Wireless car park to allow drivers a better swing around it if they are heading down past Kentucky Fried to the waterfront. The smaller the roundabout, the slower one has to drive.

Personally I had hoped that the flower-bed with the CUC pole in it could have been moved and combined with the mini-roundabout to give a smooth traffic flow from all directions. I am told that it is not practical to relocate the pole. We will end up with two mini-roundabouts and a traffic island, all within a hundred yards.

Could the NRA publish their plans so a referendum can be held? (This is almost a national issue!). Better still, could they put draft markings on the road for a couple of weeks so we can all see what we are in for?

Why are so many concerned?

It is because so few drivers know how to use a roundabout correctly. Many tourists renting cars here have never seen a roundabout in their home country. Many more drivers are dangerous as they don't bother using their indicators correctly.

Firm and decisive action is necessary to solve this problem. Let's not say that an interim measure is OK for the time being because we have wonderful plans for the future.

I will finally say that I agree with Carol that the NRA people are doing a good job overall, operating under very severe cost constraints.

Well done fellows, but please give us a break with this one.

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