The Traffic Management Team at the Ministry of Works and Transport has discovered evidence of sabotage and vandalism, as it pertains to four major non-functioning traffic light across TT.
This was revealed by Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan, who was responding to statements made by Opposition Senator Anil Roberts.
At a UNC media briefing on Sunday, Roberts said for several days the lights at intersections in Gulf City, Morvant and Sunset Cove in La Romaine had stopped working, and as a result, there were at least seven accidents where injuries were reported.
Roberts reiterated Sinanan’s comment that the matter stemmed from the non-payment of contractors, who were responsible for their maintenance, and he called on the minister to pay those contractors immediately.
However, Sinanan said that an investigation by the ministry’s Traffic Management Team discovered that people have been stealing and “willfully and maliciously cutting the cables from traffic lights,” rendering them unworkable.
He said this happened at four major traffic lights at the Morvant Intersection, two areas in South and another location.
“Problems of the lights going out is as a result of sabotage and vandalism. But the lights don’t go out as you owe somebody (contractors). The lights go out as a result of something…and in these cases, what we found is that the lights went out with malicious intent.”
Sinanan said these matters have since been reported to the police.
On Saturday, the ministry issued a press release informing the public that the Morvant lights had been repaired and urged members of the public to report any acts of sabotage to its Traffic Management Branch or the T&T Police Service.
Sinanan said the lights in South are also now functioning again.
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