We are nearing the end of this parliamentary term and are in "pre-election" campaign mode. The prime minister has until May to dissolve Parliament and call the election. We are now heading into April and none of the three main political parties has published its manifesto. Where are they?And when will they be brought forward?
Manifestos are important. They set out a party's agenda for the next five-year period if elected government. In well-written manifestos, citizens are given the details of the policy initiatives parties plan to focus on. When these documents are published well ahead of a general election, the electorate and media have more time to scrutinize what the party wants to do, or not do. In these challenging times, when crime and the economy are major concerns to many Bahamians, we should take time to examine the plans presented by the three main parties.
If a party fills its document with vague bullet points with no details as to how the promises will be achieved, you should know that promise is unlikely to materialize to reality if that party is elected. Thus far from the mini-rally podia, via news conferences and through party websites, some promises have been made. But, the full agendas of our political parties are missing. We would hope that by the time Parliament is dissolved and the official campaign begins, the manifestos will be in the public domain. Eastern Road upgrades The major roadwork on New Providence the New Providence Road Improvement Project (NPRIP) has been controversial.
While many think the island's road network needs an upgrade, the management of the project has been lacking. Road closures have led to gridlock on the streets at times and businesses in the construction zones have suffered some have gone out of business. A less controversial and smaller road project is progressing well on Eastern Road. The government is creating three turning lanes on the well-traveled route. One is at the entrance to Blair Estates, one is at Johnson Road and the other is at Fox Hill Road. The Fox Hill Road turning lane is finished.
The purpose of the lanes, essentially, is to reduce traffic flowing into the east in the evenings. The people doing the work appear to be Bahamians and there is consistent traffic management. When tractors enter the roads, workers direct flow on the one lane that is available. Traffic management at the NPRIP has been sporadic. When the three new lanes are finished, there should be significant improvement to the traffic flow in the east in the evenings. This work demonstrates that smaller coordinated roadwork projects work too. Trying to do too much at once can cause excessive disruption especially on a small island.
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