National Park should open both gates at Carifesta entrance for safety

Dear Editor,

I am a frequent user of the National Park and there is a difficulty exiting the car park onto the eastern bound traffic on Carifesta Avenue. This is very risky due to the heavy traffic on this roadway.

When the road was upgraded some time last year, a divide was constructed to facilitate the street lights. This divide blocked the present exit route from the car park onto the east bound traffic. As such, when vehicles exit the park they have to first drive a short distance west and then attempt a sharp turn east. Even with a small vehicle this manoeuvre is difficult and oftentimes entails a bit of driving forward and reversing until you are able to line up with the eastbound road. With a larger vehicle it is virtually impossible to make this sharp turn in one attempt, and owing to the heavy traffic it can be a very hazardous and hair-raising experience.

The car park has two gates. For some unknown reason only one gate is utilized. The unused gate is perfectly lined up with a gap in the divide and would be the perfect exit route for both eastern and western traffic. It is obvious that the gap in the road divide was designed to facilitate traffic coming out of this second gate, so why it is not used is a mystery.

Many months ago I enquired from the security why the gates were not used as clearly intended, and he said that it was going to be implemented “very soon”. Up to now it seems as though “very soon” has not arrived.

I am urging the management of the National Park to please commence use of both gates, since it will bring immeasurable relief and comfort to persons who drive to the National Park for their recreational activities. It makes no sense having all the infrastructure in place yet forcing undue difficulty upon the patrons.

If this one gate continues to be used, an unfortunate accident seems inevitable. Please do not wait for this to happen before changes are made.

Yours faithfully,

M Abraham