{"id":22992,"date":"2018-12-27T18:38:57","date_gmt":"2018-12-27T22:38:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=22992"},"modified":"2018-12-28T11:25:03","modified_gmt":"2018-12-28T15:25:03","slug":"commentary-when-government-revenues-stuck-in-traffic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/commentary-when-government-revenues-stuck-in-traffic\/","title":{"rendered":"COMMENTARY: When Government Revenues Stuck In Traffic"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u00a0\u00a0By RAWLSTON POMPEY<\/strong><\/p>

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Even\nas some Government workers may not have received their duly earned or accrued\nbenefits in a timely manner, motorists have never considered non-payment to be\ntheir problem. However, for the motoring public, driving with \u2018…Government\nMoney\u2019 in indecent haste and recklessly endangering lives on the public roads\nand Highways has been seen now more than ever, as a grave problem. Pronounced\nby apparent gross recklessness, the driving of Police vehicles at high speeds\nsuggested complete lack of consideration for all road users. Contrastingly, the\narmored truck drivers of the Wilbur Purcell \u2018…Special Security Services\u2019<\/strong> company, appeared to have more\nappreciation for the \u2018…nature; …condition; …amount of traffic actually or\nreasonably expected to be on the public roads\u2019 as they moved through dense\ntraffic with monies to be deposited in the \u2018…Safety Deposit Boxes\u2019 of Banks. Police\nescorts may wish to learn a lesson or two from these dispatch drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PERSPECTIVE<\/strong><\/p>

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While\nit has been said that the \u2018…Love of money is the root of all evils,\u2019 it has\nnow been said that the manner of driving in escorting \u2018…Government Money\u2019 <\/strong>has been among the causes of vehicular\naccidents.\u2019This commentary looks at\nthe manner of driving as it affects the escort of \u2018…Government Revenues<\/strong>\u2019 to be deposited in Safety Deposit Boxes.\u2019 It\nis specifically looked at from the perspective of public safety and driving\nthat has the potential to cause (a)\n…Tragic loss of life; (b) …Serious injuries; and (c) …Inconvenience to\nroad users, particularly motorists.\u2019 <\/strong>With or without Government money,\nwhile certain precautionary measures shall be taken to prevent interception by\narmed bandits, none shall treat any sum or sums of money to be deposited as\nemergencies associated with \u2018…sudden illness; …fire; …crime; …bomb\nthreat and\/or other life-threatening incidents shall be treated.\u2019 <\/p>

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URGENCY AND EMERGENCY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police\nescorts appeared to have been confused with the concepts \u2018…Urgency and Emergency.\u2019 <\/strong>They may also have been confused as to\nwhether they ruled the public roads and highways with callous impunity. When\nGovernment money recently got held-up in traffic, it was not the result of\nhighway robbery or an emboldened act of banditry. Law enforcement personnel are\ndeemed to know prohibitions of law. Those that appeared not to know would have\nbeen considered \u2018…reckless not to know.\u2019 Though not required for the\nimmediate payment of \u2018Back Pay,\u2019<\/strong>\nthere was an apparent \u2018…Mad Rush\u2019 <\/strong>to\nthe Bank. Such rush was solely for the purpose of enabling custodians of\nGovernment Revenues to lodge Government revenues collected at the V.C. Bird\nInternational Airport (VCBIA) in \u2018Safe Deposit Boxes\u2019 at banks in downtown St.\nJohn\u2019s. The routine exercise was abruptly halted, leaving both escorts and\ncustodians stuck in the traffic. Contingencies saw the money being almost\nimmediately taken over by another team of more careful and considerate\nescorters. <\/p>

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PUBLIC SAFETY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nhad been many unofficially reported incidents of motorists being forced to veer\noff to the edgy side of the roadway; sometimes in gutters and potholes with\npond-like depth. Many had done so primarily for \u2018…Public Safety,\u2019<\/strong> but more specifically, for three good reasons; (i) …In allowing for the police escorts\nto have unobstructed passage; (ii) …In avoiding vehicular contact with\npedestrians; and (iii) …In avoiding vehicular accidents with other\nmotorists.\u2019<\/strong> If those responsible for road safety did hear \u2018…Motorists\u2019 Complaints,\u2019<\/strong> they may\nhave been showing utter indifference to that which has been widely seen as a\ndangerous driving practice. These revelations shall now be considered very good\nreasons to halt the apparent display of driving indiscretions evidenced by\nreckless driving. Consequently, those with leadership, supervisory and\/or\nmanagerial responsibilities, may wish to consider taking or initiating appropriate\ncorrective or preventive measures to avert tragedies on the public highways.<\/p>

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MIRACULOUS ESCAPE<\/strong><\/p>

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The\nimpact was reportedly sudden, loud and frightening. The air bags were\ninstantaneously activated. While damages to both vehicles appeared extensive,\nonly the involved Toyota motor car was drivable. The police \u2018SUV\u2019 that became\ncompletely disabled necessitated towing by a tow-truck company. Drivers and\nescorts, as well as the custodian of Government revenues had \u2018…Miraculously Escaped\u2019<\/strong> the impact\nwithout injuries. Incidentally, no money was strewn across the roadway. It\nappeared well protected and was eventually safely deposited as intended. Irrespective\nof purpose or business, the volume of vehicular and pedestrian traffic on the\nstreets and public highway, dictates careful driving by all motorists,\nincluding law enforcement personnel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DAREDEVIL SPEED<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\nthere was clearly no urgency to pay out the V.C. Bird International Airport\n(VCBIA) and Customs and Excise Department collected revenues, and there was no\nlong queues at the High Street Treasury Department waiting for issuance of\nCheques, law enforcement personnel appeared to have been travelling at \u2018…Daredevil Speed\u2019<\/strong> with the\ncustodians of Government revenues to be deposited at the commercial banks in\ndowntown St. John\u2019s. They may have ignored the rules as dictated by the law for\nsafe driving and\/or the advice of President of the \u2018…Antigua and Barbuda Road\nSafety Group (ABRSG) Alice Ho Tac. The advocacy group has ben insisting on\ncertain adoptable measures to ensure safe driving that could help in the\nreduction in vehicular accidents, be it (i)\n…Major; (ii) …Serious and (iii) …Minor.\u2019 <\/strong>The focus of the group\u2019s\nrecommendations and educational campaign has been the prevention of the tragic\nloss of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MONEY-ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether\nprivate or public dealings, anything involving or any discussion over \u2018Money,\u2019 <\/strong>it has often become\nproblematic. Thus, equally as much there has been much fussing about it, there\nhas also been violence, invariably resulting in loss of life in attempting to\nsnatch or protect it. There are other problems associated with money. For\ninstance, when labour was given and people were not paid, there were\nlabor-relations problems. When money was lost or misplaced, there was problem.\nWhen it was reported missing or stolen or mysteriously disappeared or victims\nwere robbed of it, there was a multiplicity of problems. When there was no\ngainful employment, there were social problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DIFFERENT KINDS OF\nPROBLEMS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\nthere was no money to shop for life\u2019s essentials, there were all kinds of\nproblems. When goods and services were paid for and not delivered promptly,\nthere were quarrels. When no money was available to settle utilities bills or\npay landlords, or paying motor companies, there was re-possession. When none\nwas available to service mortgages, there was a bigger problem. When fines were\nimposed on convicted offenders and none was readily accessible, there was\ninstitutional residency. Added to these dimensions, when \u2018…Government Money\u2019 <\/strong>was recently held up in vehicular traffic, it\nwas not a problem with armed bandits. Eye-witness reports suggested \u2018…reckless driving\u2019<\/strong> on the part of a\npolice escort. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

JOY CAME IN THE\nMORNING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When\nthe Gaston Browne-led administration announced the date in honoring and\ndelivering its \u2018…Back-Pay Promises,\u2019<\/strong>\nanxious civil servants made it into a \u2018…Mad Rush\u2019 to the High Street Treasury\nDepartment to collect valuable security for the payment of money. They had a\nchoice either to join queues to exercise their franchise at the National\nReferendum or join the \u2018…Money Queue.\u2019<\/strong>\nIncidentally, there appeared to have been more people queuing up for money at\nthe \u2018…Treasury Department,\u2019<\/strong> than\nthere were people queuing up at the \u2018…Referendum\nBooths.\u2019 <\/strong>This may have been evident by the formation of extraordinary long\nqueues that extended beyond the premises. Those that may have been weeping for\nthe money for many years, for a goodly number, \u2018…Joy came in the morning\u2019<\/strong> [November, 6, 2018]. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

FRUSTRATION IN THE\nMORNING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many\nhad travelled from varying distances across the nation and likened to early\nflying birds seeking an early morning meal of worms, many had gathered long\nbefore the doors to the building were opened for public business. There had\nbeen gleeful and boisterous chattering among those that had gathered to collect\nCheques. However, for many as the anxious disappeared, with nothing to\ncelebrate, \u2018…Frustration came in the\nmorning.\u2019<\/strong> Since some had not received their Cheques, many may not have\nturned up at the various Referendum stations to decide by a majority of \u2018…Yes Votes,\u2019<\/strong> that the Caribbean\nCourt of Justice (CCJ) was to become the nation\u2019s apex Court. At the end, an\noverwhelming majority voted \u2018…No to the CCJ.\u2019 For the Gaston Browne-led\nadministration, \u2018…from the results of \u2018…No\nVotes,\u2019 <\/strong>disappointment came.\u2019 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WELL-EARNED MONEY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those\nthat had not been paid, continue to live on hopes and dreams of tomorrow. While\nmany had been wondering when they will be paid, they have been so assured. The\nonly thing recipients did not repetitively say like the elite Wall Street\n\u2018…Money Powerhouse, Goldman Sachs, \u2018…It is my money and I want it now.\u2019\nThose who were lucky left happily with valuable security, either to be debited\nto existed bank accounts or to be cashed for money at the nation\u2019s domestic\nbanks. Dependent upon sums, some Cheques would have been tendered as payment for\ngoods and services at stores, shops and supermarkets and other business\nentities. This was money, in most cases, \u2018…Well-Earned;<\/strong>\n…long overdue for payment; and urgently needed to be expended for the\nChristmas Season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TRAFFIC SIGNAL LIGHTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nwas to public knowledge that when Police escorted \u2018…Government Revenues\u2019 <\/strong>or Cricketers to Sir Vivian Richards\nCricket Stadium, there are different kinds of problems. While the escort of\nGovernment Revenues has been for reasons of security and protection, the daily\nexercise reportedly saw Police drivers showing total disregard to \u2018…Traffic Signal Lights and the motoring\npublic.\u2019<\/strong> To ignore these signal lights is to invite tragedy, serious\ninjuries and a lifetime of grief, pain and suffering and misery. This has given\nrise to motorists\u2019 complaints.Apart\nfrom several reported near misses, such routine and apparent dangerous practice\nhad resulted in at least one avoidable vehicular accident involving a police\nvehicle and a privately-owned vehicle, driven by a third party. Ironically,\nthis occurred on the traffic-busy Christmas Eve Day and at the extremely busy\nand dangerous junction of Independence Drive and Long Street [Monday, December\n24, 2018]. Even without a pair of binoculars, peering down over the city of St.\nJohn\u2019s from the Mount St. John Medical Center (MSJMC), it was obvious to those\nthat visited the scene, who may have been seen as liable to prosecution for \u2018…Dangerous Driving.\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TRAFFIC CONGESTION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instructively,\nit was not long ago that Cabinet Ministers of Antigua and Barbuda had\nreportedly called upon the Antigua and Barbuda Transport Board (ABTB) to \u2018…reveal its traffic management plan for\nChristmas\u2019<\/strong> [ANR: December 11, 2018]. Evidently, these Ministers, most of\nwhom are motorists, expected the use of the public roads to be free of\nobstruction and\/or other impediments. Incidentally, Cabinet members appeared\nhave been focusing more on the Board\u2019s \u2018…Programme for marking streets.\u2019 The places\nand times such exercises were conducted in the recent past had been a nightmare\nfor both motorists and pedestrians. Many had experienced grave inconvenience\nwith no mapped out or clear \u2018…directional;\nor …diversion and\/or instructional signs.\u2019<\/strong> What may have been very clear\nand continues to be so, is the high visibility of \u2018…Traffic Ticket Books\ncarriers, and as has been reported, with few exceptions, were constantly and\nindiscriminately hounding motorists for various motoring offences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FRUSTRATING TRAFFIC\nCONGESTION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As\none who holds ministerial position and has responsibility for the Police and\n\u2018Public Safety,\u2019 it could not be disagreeably or justifiably argued that\nAttorney General and Justice Minister Steadroy \u2018Cutie\u2019 Benjamin was interfering\nwith the functions of the Traffic Commissioner, in requesting him to roll out\nhis \u2018…Traffic and Road Safety Plan,\u2019<\/strong>\nto show as far as practicable, a commitment in making the Christmas season as\n\u2018…traffic accident-free.\u2019 There was much irony in what Cabinet was requesting\nof the Antigua and Barbuda Transport Board (BTB) and what the Traffic\nCommissioner was obliged to do. Such irony may be seen in a Christmas Eve\naccident\u2019 that had instantaneously resulted in a \u2018…Frustrating Traffic Congestion.<\/strong>\u2019 This was evidenced by long\nlines of vehicular traffic that not only appeared to have attracted curious\nonlookers, but also provoked discussions on the way law enforcement personnel\nhad been using the public highway when escorting Government revenues to the\nbanks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ROAD SAFETY PLAN<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nfact where road marking exercises were to be carried out, and particularly\nwhere restrictions were to be imposed on motorists, no such markings shall be\ndone without the expressed approval of the Traffic Commissioner\/Commissioner of\nPolice. The law makes it sufficiently clear that the \u2018…Commissioner of Police\nmay, from time to time, whenever in his opinion it is necessary or desirable to\ndo so, give directions for (a)\n…Temporary stoppage of traffic on any road; (b) …Temporary exclusion of\nwheeled traffic from any public thoroughfare; (c) …Temporary diversion of\nwheeled traffic into indicated thoroughfare; and (d) …Keeping order in, or\npreventing any obstruction of the streets in the neighborhood of any theatre or\nother place of public resort\u2019 [Section 3: Obstruction of Street Prevention Act:\nChapter 299]. <\/strong>Not only that, the law imposes upon him a procedure to be\nfollowed. It states \u2018…Any such Order shall no come into force until it has\nbeen approved by the Cabinet and published in the Gazette (Government)\u2019 [\nSection 2(2)]. Even with these provisions, it appears obvious that some Traffic\nCommissioners\/Commissioners are unaware of this law and their obligations to inform,\nguide or direct the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SHARED EXPERIENCE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\nare those with \u2018…Shared Experience\u2019<\/strong>\nas to the way law enforcement personnel had responded to their call for\nprotection and service. The complaints had often been inter alia, (a)\n…Slowness in response; (b) …uncouth or attitudinal brashness; and in recent\ntimes, indiscretion and inconsiderate team of personnel and the apparent\ndangerous manner of driving on afternoons from the V.C. Bird International\nAirport (VCBI). Compounded such inconsideration has been the uneven road surface,\nbumpy and rugged edged, often densely populated with vehicular traffic on the \u2018…Sir George H. Walter Highway<\/strong>,\u2019 to\nOld Parham Road. The escorts were reported to be escorting custodians with\nGovernment Revenues into St. Johns. With (a)\n…sirens blaring; (b) …high speed driving; and (c) …dangerous maneuvers,\u2019<\/strong>\nmotorists may have been given good reasons to complain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

RECKLESSNESS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover,\nthere are prohibitions of driving speed and manner of driving on the public\nroads with particular emphasis on, \u2018…the\namount of traffic that is actually on the public road or reasonably expected to\nbe on the public road\u2019<\/strong> [Sections 53: 55 and 56: Vehicles and Road Traffic\nAct: Chapter 460]. Reckless abandon to these considerations often leads to\ninter alia (i) \u2018…Fatalities; (ii) …Serious injuries; and (iii)\n…Inconvenience.\u2019 Reasonable inferences may have been drawn that not only\ninconsideration, but also \u2018…Recklessness\u2019<\/strong>\nhad accounted for the apparent dangerous manner of driving that had resulted in\nan otherwise avoidable vehicular accident. From professional knowledge and\npractical experience in investigating traffic accidents, reasonable inferences\nhad often been drawn from (a) …the\nmanner; (b) …impact; (c) …tire impressions (if any); and (d) …extent of\ndamages to a vehicle or vehicles involved in a traffic accident.<\/strong>\u2019 None\ntherefore, shall drive or may be driven in a helter-skelter manner to any\nbanking institution when there were no life-threatening emergencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PROSECUTORIAL\nTRAVESTY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\nwas the experience that \u2018…recklessness or carelessness\u2019 had brought tragedy\nand grief and a lifetime of pain and suffering. Both motorists and pedestrians\nhave a legally imposed duty of obedience. Hence, those walking the roadway,\nhave as much a duty of care for public safety, as those driving motor vehicles.\nFrom that which was evident, it would be considered a \u2018…Prosecutorial Travesty\u2019<\/strong> to fault the driver for obeying the\nsignal then given by the Traffic Lights, while those that seemed to have shown\napparent reckless abandon, go free. Except that which was contained in\nbillfolds or wallets, purses and deposit bags of injured motorists, passengers\nor pedestrians, it has never been the knowledge that money had been rushed to\nany medical facility for injuries sustained in traffic accidents. Those caught\nup in the Christmas Eve vehicular accident were not people rushing to join\nqueues at the High Street Treasury Department for the payment. Incidentally, many\nhad been going about their lawful business. At the particular junction, it was\nfor reasons of the safety of all road users that \u2018…Traffic Signal Lights\u2019<\/strong> were installed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CONCLUSION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apparently\ndriving at \u2018…helter-skelter speeds,\u2019 throwing caution to the wind, the \u2018…Money Escorters\u2019<\/strong> reportedly drove\nthrough the Independence Drive and Long Street junction, with speed said to\nhave been comparable to hot pursuits of armed bandits. The result of the\napparent questionable manner of driving and the purpose disclosed saw the\nescorters\u2019 blue-colored marked police vehicle crashed into the left side of a\nrental-driven Toyota motor car, then lawfully crossing over the junction on to\nthe Sydney Walling Highway. The coming year shall see a reduction in both\ntragic vehicular deaths and generally traffic accidents. These might be\npossible, but only to the extent that all road users show courtesy and\nconsiderations to each other. This might be a very good time to plan for better\n\u2018…operational and escort strategies.\u2019 In so doing, \u2018…Safe Driving by Police Escorts\u2019<\/strong> shall be prominently featured\nin the \u2018…Strategic and Operational\nPlans.\u2019 <\/strong>This shall also include instructions in \u2018…Defensive Driving.\u2019<\/strong> According to the suggestion by Traffic\nSergeant Kenny McBurnie, \u2018…If you\ncan\u2019t control it, leave it alone.\u2019 <\/strong>As another year approaches, \u2018…Happy\nNew Year\u2019 and happy motoring and safe walking on the public roads and highways.\n<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0By RAWLSTON POMPEY Even as some Government workers may not have received their duly earned or accrued benefits in a timely manner, motorists have never considered non-payment to be their problem. However, for the motoring public, driving with \u2018…Government Money\u2019 in indecent haste and recklessly endangering lives on the public roads and Highways has been […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":22993,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-letters-to-the-editor"],"yoast_head":"\nCOMMENTARY: When Government Revenues Stuck In Traffic - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/commentary-when-government-revenues-stuck-in-traffic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"COMMENTARY: When Government Revenues Stuck In Traffic\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"\u00a0\u00a0By RAWLSTON POMPEY Even as some Government workers may not have received their duly earned or accrued benefits in a timely manner, motorists have never considered non-payment to be their problem. 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