the problem of traffic congestion in the village of St Pierre and lack of parking facilities at the St Pierr…
(No. B/298) Mr P. Venkatasami (Third Member for Quartier Militaire & Moka) asked the Minister of Land Transport whether, in regard to the problem of traffic congestion in the village of St Pierre and lack of parking facilities at the St Pierre Traffic Centre, he will state – (a) if any survey has been carried out by his Ministry thereinto and, if so, indicate the main recommendations contained therein and if not, why not, and (b) the measures being envisaged to address same.
Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to inform the House that the village of St Pierre like many other villages has seen a lot of developments taking place along roadsides with buildings abutting the road networks. As a result, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, traffic congestion is a dire reality and remedial actions thereto are limited in as much as there is not enough space available to undertake any capacity enhancing measures. Because of the fast development that has occurred there in so far as road infrastructure are concerned. Specifically, it is not possible to introduce additional traffic lanes nor a turning filter lane at junctions due to the already heavy built-up environment. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, with regard to part (a) of the question, I am informed by the TRMSU that due to the prevailing situation limiting the traffic mitigating actions, no specific engineering survey has been carried out. Moreover, the casual factors contributing to traffic
63 congestion were well-known namely; narrow roads, high vehicular movement and road side parking. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as regard to part (b) of the question, the TRMSU is proposing to carry out the following to alleviate the problem – 1. A traffic count survey with a view to optimising traffic lights at signalised junctions thus reducing waiting times. 2. Implementing parking restrictions along certain roads in the village in consultation with the Moka District Council. 3. Stringent enforcement by the Police and the NLTA for parking violations. 4. Promoting the use of public transportation. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, although the scope for physical upgrades is extremely limited in St Pierre, like I mentioned earlier, due to its heavy built-up environment, my Ministry remains committed to implementing operational, regulatory and planning measures in collaboration with relevant stakeholders in order to improve the overall traffic condition and commuting experience in the village. Thank you.
Do you have any supplementary questions?
Would the hon. Minister consider to meet even some private land owners just around the traffic centre, to have meeting with them to secure some space to relocate the traffic centre, please?
Yes, if that can facilitate. I think with the relevant authorities concerned, I will be willing to meet up to see how going forward we can alleviate the situation but that does not depend only on my Ministry. I think several of the Ministries and Departments will have to be consulted for that purpose.
The hon. Third Member for Port Louis South and Port Louis Central. IMMACULEE CONCEPTION SCHOOL (FORMER) - PREMISES - SECURING