Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

Patrons sing along with rock 'n' roll hall-of-famer Al Green at the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival in Montego Bay in 2006. The music festival, which attracts thousands of fans yearly, has a history of traffic woes. - File

WESTERN BUREAU:

Plagued by a history of congestion, the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival organisers have delegated traffic management to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ealan Powell, who has promised there will be absolutely "no parking on the road leading to the venue".

The traffic chief, who had responsibility for the smooth running of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, told The Gleaner that four designated lots have been allotted for patrons attending the annual event, which is expected to attract more than 35,000 fans this year.

"No one should come to the event expecting that they are going to be allowed to park on the road and there will be no cutting across the traffic," SSP Powell has warned.

In the past, the event has been plagued by motorists who left their cars just about anywhere on the road, causing massive congestion which resulted last year in Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller - who was at the time the Prime Minister - being forced to walk to her hotel after the event ended.

However, this year there will be an adequate number of traffic personnel whose only focus will be on the movement of cars along the highway, said SSP Powell.

SSP Powell

Accordingly, the plan is to have "people coming from Montego Bay use the playfield at Rose Hall Resort and Country Club (formerly Wyndham), then shuttled to the venue," the senior superintendent outlined.

In the case of persons coming from Kingston, he said they will be asked to use the parking lots directly across from the Rose Hall Resort and Country Club.

"Those persons will be shuttled under the two tunnels beneath the road," he explained, adding that a new road was constructed specifically to accommodate persons using this route.

Only persons doing drop-offs and those with VIP stickers will be allowed access to turn into the venue.

According to the senior superintendent, an emergency exit has also been created in the event of any urgent and unexpected situations.

Appealing for the cooperation of patrons attending the event, the SSP said he and his team did not want to seem dogmatic or adversarial, as their main concern is the smooth movement of the traffic.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com