Police address traffic build-up near ESHS

Residents took to social media yesterday to protest an unexpected traffic build-up in the vicinity of the Elmore Stoutt High School on September 11.

As residents expressed frustration, some say they were stuck in traffic for as much as 30 minutes as parents attempted to drop off their children on the first day of school.

“Does anyone know why the traffic is backed up on Joe’s Hill?” One Facebook user asked.

“Wow, I’ve been stuck on Joe’s Hill about 30 minutes! The school needs to sort out the drop-off process,” another said.

The police subsequently released a statement apologising for the traffic delays, adding that the issue was due to temporary traffic rerouting for the school year’s resumption.

“We understand the inconvenience and the need for further assessments to bring about a much smoother flow of traffic, where the public will be informed prior to any proposed traffic implementation,” the statement said.

The cops also called for patience, understanding, cooperation, and feedback from the community.

In the meantime, the Education Ministry also released a statement saying they were unaware of the plans to reroute traffic in the vicinity of the high school.

“In recognising that Ministry officials were unaware, and no public advisory was issued, the Ministry immediately contacted the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) to ascertain why the traffic adjustments were made. The RVIPF has since notified the Ministry that this matter has been addressed,” the Ministry said.

The Education Ministry also said they’ve asked the police to inform both the Ministry and the public before any future adjustment is made to traffic in the vicinity of schools, so all stakeholders can properly prepare as they traverse the area.