March 29, 2003

Dear Sir,

I refer to your heading "Vehicle Count Down by 700", appearing on page 3 of today's Royal Gazette.

When I read it I thought it was too good to be true. Well, in my view, I was right. It was totally too good to be true. What a totally misleading title, given that the statistic is applicable to 2001. Can you please explain how it is that in this day in 2003 people who live in Southampton can't get out of their driveways in the morning to go to work because the traffic is so backed up all the way from Hamilton?

Please tell me how many thousands of vehicles have been imported since 2001? The passenger vehicles are enough but then you add to them the countless vans, pick-ups, trucks, tractor trailers on such a small rock it just boggles the mind! Most of the new commercial pick-ups (you know ... the many new six-seater, V-8 , design painted Ford pickups that are used for "commercial" purposes) that are being allowed in are unable to be driven down a street without all oncoming vehicles pulling over to a near stand still to let them go by. Where is the management of this mess?

Nowhere at the moment I guess and I can't say that I'm terribly surprised given that the first order of Parliament when this government was sworn in was to order new oversized Peugeots for all the Government MP's.

As far as I'm concerned when this happened it was a shot across the bow as to just where this government's priorities would lie. It's about time that this Government started thinking less about themselves and their mates and more about the general welfare of our Island.

COTTY OUTERBRIDGE

City of Hamilton