Medical best practice suggests that prevention is better than cure. Close monitoring, sound practices and strategic planning drafted by those who have dedicated their life to this objective ensures that gradually, more patients enjoy longevity by reducing heart seizure incidents.
Similarly maintaining a steady blood flow by keeping arteries and veins in a healthy working order will ensure that blood will reach all the vital organs.
Meanwhile, few seem to notice the blood clot building up in our transport network leading to weekly cases of transport thrombosis. Fortunately, some blood clots can be completely avoided. Likewise, the key is to be aware of the risk and blind corners and take simple preventative steps to rectify the situation.
The transport network is a living flow with predictable patterns that can be harnessed, steered and managed if we analyse the population’s mobility behaviours.
This entails seeking the input of those who can contribute invaluable, on-site 24-hour data and intelligence that provides for better decision-making according to these periodic flows.
In a world of competing priorities, this flexibility and constant cooperation is a must and public-private partnership is the only way forward for result-oriented decision-makers.
In an island where services are the backbone of the economy, planning and efficiency are fundamental to increase productivity and ultimately safeguard our own livelihood and quality of life. Traffic flow is a chain and very sensitive to adjustments. Can it be that main arteries are closed without predicting where that overspill will go?
This begs the question – should well-meaning activities be organised simultaneously within rural neighbouring localities where the infrastructure is designed to support rural traffic?
Last Sunday was the perfect case study with three different crowd-pulling activities organised in the central/west part of the island with catastrophic traffic results, thrombosis.
Are authorities briefing their officers ahead of these events and providing the necessary hands-on training required to direct and manage traffic flows in conjunction with other entities?
The upcoming season will witness a surge in activity from traditional feasts to concerts drawing crowds from across the island. It will also bring about population spikes that will add stress to our limited road infrastructure. Time is ripe to address this issue today and gather around the table to explore new channels of communication with industry partners whose knowledge should be seen as an additional asset in the regulator’s tool box.