Santa Cruz Transport Centre Now Officially Open
The Santa Cruz Transport Centre was recently opened by Local Government and Community Development Minister, Hon. Noel Arscott.
In his remarks at the event, Minister Arscott commended the St. Elizabeth Parish Council for “its drive to provide high-quality services to the people of this town and of the parish. In this regard, I want to commend the Parish Council, led by Mayor Fisher, for the hard work that has been put into this project”.
The Transportation Centre was constructed on space created after a massive fire destroyed a Vendors Arcade in 2008.
Since then, the Parish Council has spent over J$5 million from its own account for the general improvement of the Centre. The works included the
- Provision of Marl
- Paving of the park
- Fencing
- Construction of bathroom facilities
- Construction of sheds
- Construction of a collection booth
- Construction of a police/security booth
In calling for public co-operation in the maintenance of order in the Town, Minister Arscott especially called on transport operators to carry on their business exclusively in the Transport Centre:
“I expect that the taxi-operators will be operating within it, and not outside. I expect that the police will have an easier duty of ensuring traffic management, as congestion in Santa Cruz will be significantly reduced. The reduction of congestion is critical to any effort to ensure that this town and its environs reflect planned, urban development, rather than chaotic growth. I want to remind the operators that the police are now legally empowered to prosecute them if they insist on parking on the streets, instead of using the Centre.”
In reminding the audience that the Transport Centre was officially gazetted on Tuesday, April 15, 2014, Mayor of Black River, Councillor Everton Fisher, said he expects a major change in the traffic management experience in Santa Cruz, so that this town can continue its trend of growth, but in a clearly defined way.
“Our challenge is to provide the physical and social infrastructure to ensure the best quality of life for our citizens. We are also challenged to mobilize all the political, business and civil society acumen in this town, to preach and enforce the message that its progress will also heavily depend on public order”.
