Warning issued over ‘risky’ pavement signs
Sandwich board on west Bay Road
(CNS): Too many sandwich boards and other signs are cluttering up the pavement, officials from the National Roads Authority (NRA) have said and are warning the owners to remove them before the end of this month. The NRA said the private signs on the sidewalks are a dangerous hazard to people, as they obstruct pedestrian areas, and reminded the public and businesses that blocking the pavement and road encroachment carries a penalty of up to $5,000.
“These signs pose great risk to our pedestrians as they have to step out into the road to avoid the sign,” said NRA Managing Director Paul Parchment.
He said areas that are non-compliant include businesses along Dorcy Drive, North Sound Road and Seven Mile Beach. There are dozens of sandwich boards outside businesses along the West Bay Road but most are situated in the grass and planted verges. However, several signs were spotted by CNS blocking the pavements Thursday.
The NRA said these obstructions to pedestrian mobility on sidewalks or roadsides will be removed if they are still there next month and after the authority has served notice. As well as facing a possible fine, owners will have to foot the bill for their removal.
“We kindly ask property owners to ensure that all trees, landscaping and signs pose no danger to pedestrians or drivers. For clarity, it helps to consider that the majority of the Cayman Islands’ roadways consist of a carriageway for motor vehicles, as well as a narrow shoulder, usually three to ten feet wide normally used by pedestrians,” officials said.
Encroachments of sidewalks and road corridors violate Section 16 of the Roads Law and can be reported to the NRA. To report an encroachment or obtain more information, call the NRA on 946-7780 or visit the NRA website: www.caymanroads.com or the new NRA Facebook page.
Category: Local News
Sounds like my neighbor out at 3 am chopping the maintained bush that faces my yard.. Hmm ya think one would resolve the fact you crap in a bucket first not pissing me off..
They should also do something about the people parking on the sidewalks!!!!!
Great suggestion- a few arrows at the roundabouts would be very helpful.
I am so glad people are mentioning the signs at Safe Haven/Holiday Inn. As a tourist, I mention that in my trip report/comments each time I stay at Holiday Inn (and before when it was Grand Caymanian). It is so hard to exit out onto the main road with all those signs posted there right at eye level right in the view of oncoming traffic. Those signs are a danger, imo.
West Bay road is looking like a third world country with all the signs in and around the sidewalks. Between them and the obnoxious digital sign. The Cayman Image is being marginalized. I would love to see the people doing this fined and not just once in a while but on a regular basis. This could become an income stream for Gov. while cleaning up our Islands.
If we are talking signs, how about changing the (is there a total of maybe 5?) signs on West Bay road from 40 to 25, and the signs between CNB and Butterfield roundabout from 25 to 30.
Maybe they could make some proper signs for the roundabouts so people know which lane they should be in
May they should just concentrate on the corruption, cronyism, lack of implementation of laws, lack of driving skill, absent fathers, workplace bullying etc before worrying about this tiny hazard.
Maybe they should also look at removing garbage bins which now seem to be permanently placed in the road edges. This is NOT a place for such bins. They should located on the individual’s property and not on the road verge.
So lawyer where should people put the bins? The trucks don’t come as frequently as they used to once upon a time. On my road and many others every single bin is on the ‘road edge’. So lawyer is it something you dislike or is it unlawful? If it is the latter quote the section of the law.
It is ILLEGAL to put signs on sdidewalks for years now and we’re giving them a month to remove them? Really? Can our Gov’t depts plz work hand-in-hand ie NRA & Police? The Police are on the road (well most times) and if these two depts worked together; the Police would remove the signs and warn the offenders that should they, the Police, find the signs on the sidewalk again they will be prosecuted!! It is the same with the roadside cleaning! NRA sends out their worker with the mover and mows the roadsides but alas the garbage is left as the DEH doesn’t have a worker or workers cleaning up after the roadsides have been mowed!! Quite simply when a gardener cleans my property, after he’s mowed and cut the trees he then collects and bags the rubbish!! So it shouldn’t be very difficult for NRA & DEH & Police to work hand-in-hand in these two specific areas
Stop warning and start doing! Unless people are slpapped with steep fines the nonsense is going to continue.
And could the responsible government dept please do something about all those vendors who run a business on crown land (ie read the beaches)? Next we have vendor harassing beach goers by trying to sell them crap made in China. Just have a look at what is going on next to the Kempton hotel site with vendors driving their vehicles right onto the beach.
Maybe the NRA should also remove the badly placed road signs, turn signs and hotel signposts along the bypass which are placed ar eye level when driving and can severely obstruct your viw of oncoming traffic. Certainly would not be allowed in many other countries. The signs to Snug Harbour and the Holiday Inn / Safehaven spring to mind.
and CUC, address that obstruction before a bus load of tourists are involved in an accident
They could also add some proper signage and road markings at traffic lights –
heading north on Harbour Drive at the Fort Street junction and heading south on WB Road at the Eastern Avenue junction, I see tourists in the wrong lane, making last second changes on almost a daily basis. Wouldn’t be too hard to put up a couple of signs and paint some arrows in the road – unless they used up all their paint on those pointless yellow lines at roundabouts?
I’d have said this was about 1,000th on the list of hazards the NRA should be worrying about! What about confusing and dangerous intersections (I can think of 3 off the top of my head) and slippery roundabouts that slope away from the center sending cars off in all directions?
Good grief – the NRA area actually doing something useful for once. If only they could deal with all the other problems on the roads and sidewalks as efficiently.
Don’t get excited – they are just talking about doing something.
I miss the LOL button. 🙂