Murphy’s Law attempted to upstage Premier Ewart Brown yesterday as he arrived to unveil newly installed traffic lights at the junction of Collector’s Hill and South Road.

Drivers through the area have been using the lights for about a week, but when Government officials showed up for an official unveiling ceremony, there was a technical glitch and the lights went off.

Police officers arrived to direct traffic, while Works and Engineering Minister Dennis Lister calmly explained away the mishap. He said: “As in life there are hiccups. It’s how you respond to hiccups that test your strength, right?”

Traffic technicians worked feverishly on the problem while the official unveiling continued just a few feet away.

Minister Lister said with a smile: “Today when we come down to do the official ribbon cutting, the hiccup would happen - of all days, right?”

Dr. Brown was also a part of the ceremony and the traffic lights directly affect him because he and his wife live in the neighbourhood.

“Having said that,” he pointed out, “you should know that having this project completed had nothing to do with the fact that the Premier lives anywhere near the traffic lights. “My neighbours are also as happy as I am,” said Dr. Brown.

Smiths Parish Council was instrumental in making the new traffic lights a reality.

The three-way junction on the Island’s south shore is notorious for high volume traffic because there is a grocery store, a pharmacy, and three restaurants all within about 100 yards.

Clarissa Woolridge, who turns 80 this year, says it’s been dangerous in the area for years.

She said: “Very much so, very dangerous. You look either way and sometimes the cars would be right up on you. It’s very dangerous. This is a blessing.”

Dr. Brown seemed to be compelled by the same sentiment as Mrs. Woolridge because of what happened to his mother.

He said: “I remember on one occasion my mother had an accident at this intersection. And it’s always been a sore point for the people in this area. But today our Government has delivered.”

There is some criticism over the lights’ effectiveness.

Braxton Stowe, who lives nearby, acknowledges something had to be done to make the intersection safer, but he isn’t sure this proposed remedy is working well.

He said: “Where one line of traffic stops, it blocks the businesses and people are not going to let them out. The courtesy isn’t there. If we had a stop sign where all the lights are now it would be like the States - at those intersections where everybody stops and everybody takes a turn to go.”

John Evory who lives on Coverdale Lane just a few feet from the new lights has experienced some problems entering South Road, but doesn’t seem to mind the inconvenience.

“Yes, that’s a problem, but otherwise it’s working great. It’s worth the trade,” he said.

The brief traffic lights glitch was repaired by the time the ribbon cutting was over and the lights were once again operating last night.