A walkover is to be built in the Sea Lots, Port of Spain, area.

This was stated yesterday by Director of Highways Roger Ganesh who added that there were plans to also construct pedestrian walkovers in other parts of Port of Spain with designs being done under the Programme for Upgrading Road Efficiency (PURE).

However, Ganesh said the issue of funding for the walkovers still needed to be sorted out.

Speaking to the Express by phone, Ganesh said the ministry planned to build three walkovers—one in the vicinity of Central Market, Port of Spain, another by the Port of Spain ferry terminal and a third in the vicinity of MovieTowne, Audrey Jeffers Highway.

Ganesh said a walkover was planned for the Sea Lots area as many children have to cross the highway to access the Priority Bus Route to go to school.

He said there are pedestrian light crossings in the vicinity of the Central Market and the lighthouse and there is also a raised median in the middle of the highway which acts as a pedestrian refuge area.

Ganesh said caution signs were also erected in the area after a woman was knocked down by the market while attempting to cross the road.

Motorists, he said, speed through that area even though there is a speeding limit of 35 miles per hour there.

He added that in the vicinity of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, red light cameras were installed which record when motorists break the lights but ticketing cannot be enforced yet until the relevant legislation is passed.

Ganesh pointed out that people need to be more careful on the roads and that there were many instances of people taking a chance to cross a busy highway instead of using the pedestrian walkover.

He pointed out that pedestrian walkovers currently exist in the vicinities of West Mall, Powder Magazine and Beetham Gardens but people do not use them.

Ganesh said last week a man was knocked down in Charlieville right under a pedestrian walkover which he did not utilise.

He said it was time for legislation to deal with jaywalking to be enacted.

Port of Spain South MP Marlene McDonald told the Express yesterday the People's National Movement (PNM) had plans to build a walkover in the Central Market area before the People's Partnership government assumed office.

She said this current Government widened the road and it was expected that the walkover would have been built.

McDonald said it was extremely dangerous for the people of Sea Lots to be crossing the highway.

"I think it (a walkover) is needed. It is very dangerous to cross there. I remember some time ago I got a lift there by the market and I had to cross the road to visit with my constituents and I found it to be quite a daunting task," said McDonald.

McDonald said she was with her constituents and consoling the friends and family of the crash victims up to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

She said the residents of the area told her that last year a lady from the community was knocked down while trying to cross the road by a motorist who allegedly broke the traffic lights.

"They said the woman's torso fell inside the car next to the guy, her legs were flung across the highway and up to now you don't know what happened in that matter," said McDonald.

In that case, she said, the residents also claimed a call was made and the driver was hurried away from the scene by a police officer before investigators arrived on location.

McDonald said she was trying her best to ensure the witnesses and families of the victims to Sunday's accident which claimed the lives of a mother and two daughters, and injured three other people, receive counselling and other assistance.