Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves said that he is not aware if the Traffic Department of the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force consulted the top tier within the force about the traffic exercise executed on October 13 leaving commuters into Kingstown stranded in traffic for lengthy periods.
Gonsalves, this country’s National Security Minister, said that he would not be consulted on such matters explaining that it was an ‘operational issue’.
He however said that he spoke to the Commissioner of Police acting, Enville Williams who said that he had had a discussion with Head of the Traffic Department, Assistant Superintendent of Police Parnel Browne
And that although he did not usually speak publicly on conversations between the commissioner and himself, he had concluded that that it was a good idea to check to see whether drivers were paying their license and insurance.
“But there’s a way to do it, and a way not to do it,” Gonsalves said while speaking on radio.
It may well be that the traffic department could have done it randomly and at different times, he said.
Several commuters were stuck in traffic, some for at least an hour last Friday morning as members of the traffic department executed a ‘stop and check’ for up-to-date license and insurance, among other potential traffic violations.
It was reported on social media, traffic was backed up to Fairbain Pasture on the route from the Marriaqua Valley, and past Ratho Mill along the Windward Highway.