Shelly-Ann Thompson, Freelance Writer
Major Desmon Brown (standing), coordinator, Transport Committee, and Senior Superintendent of Police Ealan Powell, take questions from members of the public yesterday at a public forum on access and movement of vehicular traffic in and around Sabina Park on match days during the ICC Cricket World Cup. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
Business operators within the vicinity of Sabina Park, downtown Kingston, say they will be losing millions of dollars during the staging of the ICC Cricket World Cup as several roads will, for at least seven days, be restricted to vehicular traffic.
Michael Ming, operator of M and T Distributors on South Camp Road, said if the proposed transportation plan is implemented he will lose about $100,000 over a five-day period.
"I am certain this figure will be minuscule as to what others will be losing because I am a small operator," he said.
Mr. Ming and other business operators were disgruntled when the proposed transportation plan for the Cricket World Cup was presented at a public forum held yesterday at the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston.
The public forum hosted by the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 was open to residents and business operators in the Allman Town and Campbell Town communities.
Approximately eight to 10 roads surrounding Sabina Park will be restricted to vehicular traffic on match days, which will be a total of seven days if there are no delays. This affects several businesses that are located on these roads such as service stations, wholesales and auto dealers.
Roads within the vicinity of the stadium will be designed as red and blue zones. Within the blue zones, on match days, only vehicles with accredited stickers will be allowed access.
However no vehicular access will be allowed and only persons with match tickets will be able to access the red zones, which is around St. George's College, Sabina Park, and an area of South Camp Road outside of Sabina Park that is from George Headley Drive up to Melbourne Road.
Major Desmon Brown, coordinator of the transport committee, suggested that business owners encourage customers to conduct business between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. While customers without the accredited stickers will be given access to these streets between these hours, access will only be granted to persons conducting legitimate business within these zones.
"The traffic will by then have died down and customers may come to the manned barriers to identify where they are going and they will be let through," said Major Brown. "These are the security measures of a major event," he said.
Debbie Jones-McGibbon, of GSB Cooperative Credit Union on East Avenue, was also present at the public forum and expressed concern about customers being able to access the credit union. The credit union branch currently has roughly 26,000 members.
"Away from staff members whose cars are accredited no other drivers will be allowed on the avenue. We are a financial institution and we can't tell people to park at Heroes Circle and walk to the company," she said.
"It is 50-50, about half of our customers who walk-in and another half who drive. So we cannot get all our members accredited that would be ridiculous," said Mrs. Jones-McGibbon.
Mr. Ming said that he and other proprietors in the surrounding area have been losing financially since last October when the road work, in preparation for the Cricket World Cup, commenced along South Camp Road.
However Major Brown emphasised that these plans are not cast in stone and, if necessary, adjustments can be made.
A reverification exercise for vehicle accreditation is scheduled by the committee in conjunction with the Social Development Commission for next week Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Salvation Army on Prince Albert Street, downtown Kingston.
