The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) Traffic Department and the Ministry of Infrastructure Development (MID) are working together in an attempt to address the traffic situation in Honiara.
This follows the closure of the one lane bailey bridge in Chinatown and the old Mataniko Bridge near the Makolo Building by the contractor of the road improvement project, KITANO WKK. Only the new Mataniko Bridge is open for traffic leading to long traffic queues from both ends of the capital city.
During a meeting between the RSIPF, the MID and the contractor KITANO WKK today, it was agreed that to ease the traffic congestion, the road contractor will be stationing Traffic Wardens at the old and new Mataniko bridges to direct traffic depending on the business of the traffic.
“Police Traffic officers will also be stationed near the two bridges to assist the Traffic Wardens as well as the main road junctions in the Point Cruz are to direct traffic,” says Director of the RSIPF Traffic Department, Inspector Brian Surimalefo.
“At the same time, police would like to appeal to members of the public including both drivers and pedestrians to be patient and plan their movements in town well in advance to avoid any disappointment. We will try our best to ease the traffic especially at the peak hours in the mornings and afternoons,” says Inspector Surimalefo.
He adds: “We also appeal to drivers to stop creating extra lanes along the roads and not to park carelessly which usually slows down traffic. Drivers must also maintain the legal speed along the main roads and not to drive too slowly which usually holds up the rest of the traffic.”
“Let us all work together to address this situation which should be minimised when the road contractor has fixed the old Mataniko Bridge,” says Inspector Surimalefo.