Gov’t to tackle traffic in 2020

| 31/12/2019 | 66 Comments
Cayman News Service
Premier Alden McLaughlin delivers his New Year message for 2020

(CNS) Premier Alden McLaughlin has said that in the New Year it will be up to businesses and individuals as well as government to protect the economic prosperity and progress that he claimed Cayman is enjoying. But his government will tackle some of the challenges that this growth has caused, such as the increasing traffic crisis. “In 2020, the National Roads Authority will continue working to smooth traffic flows at critical junctions and to increase capacity,” the premier said in his New Year statement.

“In the New Year work will also begin on determining the best solution for an improved, fit for purpose, public transport system that will negate the need for the growing number of cars on our roads,” McLaughlin added.

The premier also spoke about two major controversial issues that his government will be dealing with in 2020. He said that when the Legislative Assembly meets in 2020, it will need to address the issue of same-sex partnerships. Faced with a possible rebellion among his own ranks regarding legislation for gay unions, McLaughlin is now pressing home the point that if local legislators don’t agree to provide a legal framework for same-sex couples, the UK will impose the necessary law.

“It is important that legislators determine the best way forward for our Islands and find a solution that works for Caymanians,” he stated. “If we abrogate our responsibility to do so, we must accept that the UK will legislate for these islands as the Court of Appeal has suggested they do. That would be the worst possible result.”

In addition to a battle across his own benches, the premier will also be going to battle with the Cayman people in the New Year about the equally controversial and divisive issue of the cruise berthing project.

On 20 January the court will hear arguments from activists campaigning against the cruise berthing project and the National Trust that the vote cannot happen until work is completed to determined the impact on Grand Cayman’s natural environment and a more fair question and campaign is established.

In his address to the country, McLaughlin said he hoped everyone will accept the decisions that result from these two issues and come together as Caymanians and residents “and work to build and grow our Islands for the benefit of all our people — not just the privileged. A more just society is, after all, a better society.”

And regardless of the now very clear and significant public opposition to the cruise project, the premier remained very confident that the cruise dock is supported by most Caymanians and that after the vote, government could move forward on it.

“If I am wrong and most of the electorate decide at the referendum that they want to see the cruise berthing and cargo enhancement project halted then the project will be stopped and the government will accept that result,” he stated. “But if I am right that most people support the project, and so the ‘No vote’ fails to reach the required threshold, then I call on those opposing the government’s case to accept the result for the project to go ahead.”

He said work to determine how best to mitigate environmental concerns would continue, describing it has an “ambitious programme of environmental mitigation”, even though scientists have noted significant flaws in government’s plans, especially regarding coral relocation, and the lack of success or documented evidence that any of it will come close to addressing the massive marine destruction the project poses.

During his 2020 address the premier made claims about the achievements of his previous governments and commitments to address challenges, but made no mention whatsoever of climate change, which many believe will become the most pressing issue in the coming decades.

He gave no mention of plans to address the dust-gathering climate policy or how the energy policy targets will be met. And he gave only a passing mention to what many residents see as the key issue for Cayman: tackling the dump.

McLaughlin said that “capping” will begin at the George Town landfill in the New Year, the first step in ending Cayman’s unsustainable reliance on the dump, and claimed there would be an increase in recycling and work would begin on the construction of a modern waste-to-energy plant, which has been promised for more than a decade.

Watch the premier delivering his statement below or read it in the CNS Library


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Category: Politics

Comments (66)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Too many people on this Island – and apparently most do not have jobs, as they are driving up and down and all around, all day and night – it would be very helpful to find out who they are – bet it will surprise us how many undocumented, illegal criminals we have here. Dangerous and frightening and definitely not fair to us. Government please do your job. Immigration has failed us.

  2. George Towner says:

    Build an overhead METRO RAIL system east to west. Problem solved.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Oh, with the spare KYD$20 Billion this government has laying around?!? CIG had to get Dart to take the reigns to build the highways we have now. We are broke, and over-extended.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Yes we are broke because Mr..Ken Dart is not paying all of the duties and fees the rest of us have to pay.

        • Anonymous says:

          Lets see. Tackle the traffic problem by doubling the population in a short period of time and then still pushing to have over 100k people here in the next few years. Yeap sounds like a plan that will work.

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          • Anonymous says:

            Don’t settle for over 100,000 people. Go for 1 million people and totally destroy this place.

  3. Anonymous says:

    I still cannot understand, how in a country where you drive on the left side of the road, there are a plethora of Left hand drive vehicles !!! that does not make any sense !!! you do not have a plethora of right hand drive vehicles in the USA where they drive on the right side of the road … cut out the importation of vehicles from the USA !!!, import only vehicle where the driver has an unobstructed view of the road i.e RIGHT HAND DRIVE VEHICLES … That is the first step in dealing with the issue of vehicle crashes !!!

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  4. Anonymous says:

    If the Cayman Islands adopted basic and specific exhaust emissions standards (eg Euro 6 or LEV) in the Traffic Regulations, beyond the highly subjective and non-specific “noxious smoke or noise”, *and* stopped and tested buses, trucks, and cars for compliance, we would likely see a substantial decline in the non-roadworthy shitheaps belching soot around our islands (and probably a decline in non-smoker lung cancer rates). There is no Will in this regime to take the most basic responsible (and healthy) steps. By contrast, we have unlicensed, exhaust and calayst-delete 2 stoke bikers and car-mod expos that are rewarded with their own police-escorted wheely/burnout parades in the Hotel Tourism corridor.

    • Anonymous says:

      This will never happen as the people who control the Cayman automobile retail sector have an immense amount of political power. They will never allow restrictions.

  5. Anonymous says:

    The Premier claims there is Division in the country. He fails to say he no supports the dock that benefits only a select few. He fails to tell us he now represents the Monaco jet setters he once claimed controlled his predecessor McKeeva Bush.

    What I can see is the pro port campaigners are backing a process that prevents over 200 voters from participating and all that after spending a year advertising against a petition, with lies like a referendum would mean the bidders would pull out, and the project would be canceled https://www.caymancompass.com/2018/09/25/government-referendum-would-kill-cruise-port/

    -The government were the ones who had the option to prove they had a mandate in August of 2018 when they voted down the opposition motion to hold the referendum
    If the government cared about division they could have called this vote a year ago and this would have already been settled, before there even was a CPR group

    -The government were the ones who said there was no rush to the vote and initiated a costly and months long door to door verification in an attempt to avoid this referendum

    -The government is currently withholding key information until after the vote, in an attempt to prop up the ugly bits of the deal because they have no interest in letting people make an informed vote

    -The government is currently blocking members of the DOE from speaking publicly about their concerns about this project

    -The government is refusing to put into place proper campaign finance limits for both sides to ensure that the public is not browbeaten by those with financial interests and cash to burn

    -The government is refusing to treat this vote as they would every other vote, and refusing to allow the count by constituency, along with other norms like closing alcohol distributors until the polls close.

    -The government is running around with foreigners who as of yet have no business here telling us what we need to do for them so they can “help” us

    -The government is trying to sign us up for 25 years of debt that we don’t want, and that we have no interest in

    And all that goes without mentioning Alden has a long track record of starting horrible projects and then shirking responsibility,
    The schools, the airport, the road expansions etc
    The man destroys anything he touches, while pretending he is some political grand strategist because he can con a couple of people in George town to keep electing him and his cronies

    The country isn’t divided on the port issue
    The country is unified in its opposition to this god forsaken project, which will be displayed when the vote is held whether it is in December or if the vote is forced to be put off by the courts

    The only people trying to rush this vote, are you, you all have done everything you can over the past year and a half to try to stop the vote and have only now accepted this vote while stacking the odds in your own favour and claiming that it is the other side that is scared

    How dumb does he think people are?

    People can see what the Premier and his government are doing, in their desperation to win the vote. The rest of us have no qualms letting all Caymanians interested vote, waiting for all the available information and holding the referendum at a time when Caymanians are not celebrating the holidays or overseas with family during vacation periods.

    Thankfully CPR had the courage to stand up and question this entire mess in the Grand Court thru a Judicial Review. The arrogance of the Premier and his ministers are the a large part of the root problem in Cayman.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Alden has become McKeeva. Access to power and the devils bargain with McKeeva has changed him ( and the PPM) from pro Caymanian to pro whatever his foreign minders tell him. Who would have thought we would see the day where the Premier flies off on joy trips with his Dart acolytes at tax payers expense, has reached record numbers of work permits in issue, presided over a country where developers are allowed to do anything they like to pave our island, irrespective of the environmental damage – no,actually encouraged to do so by the granting of duty concessions whilst the rest of us have to endure the consequences of infrastructure overload, does nothing to protect Caymanians basic rights of access to the beach, is falling over himself to pass whatever laws the UK wants, and having criticized McKeeva for extravagance spends money like a drunken sailor on anything he thinks may gain a vote or serve his masters interests. Like Esau, he has sold his birthright (and ours) for a mess of pottage.

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  6. Anonymous says:

    He couldn’t lead the people out of a wet paper bag. Utterly useless hope him and the rest of the unity team gone come 2021.

    We have had enough of this foolishness.

    Paying consultants all this money to tell us how to fix things when the answers are blatantly obvious but those answers will require hard decisions that the current politicians are too afraid to take.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Here’s a traffic solution, move all the government towards the east side of the island.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    traffic to be tackled???…from the folks who banned uber in cayman…..zzzzzzzzzzz
    welcome to wonderland.

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    • BeaumontZodecloun says:

      Is that true? I’m just asking. I didn’t know that uber was “banned”. I thought it was merely not picked up or invited here.

      We need uber, and we need a reliable and comfortable bus system here.

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      • Anonymous says:

        cig ‘to protect the local taxi rip-off merchants’ prevented uber setting up here.
        classic caymankind nonsense.

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        • Traffic solutions says:

          Why did London ban Uber. Please think before you write. Uber is not the answer. It is also not a one answer solution here are some solution to the traffic problem
          1. more commercail land zoning east of Hurleys this would reduce thecreason why we have to go to GT and create traffic.
          2. Every private school to have school buses. You will see the difference on Monday the 6th when school starts back.
          3. Build proper roads. The NRA is more concern about you leaving work on time that getting to work. Three lanes going east of Hurleys but only two west before hurleys going into GT.
          4. Cut the medium out by hurleys so we can have 4 lanes going into town in morning and one lane out and reverse it in the evenning.
          5. Have designate public transportation and car pool lane to encourage everyone to car pool or take public transportation.
          6.bigger buses so passengers can sit comfortable and also carry their groceries.
          7. Restrict work permit holders having vehicles. Charge work permit holders who want a car extra 10,000 kyd per permit for infrasture fee. Every tom, dick and harry and there cat who come here got a car and is creating traffic jams for the natives.
          8.NRA build areas for buses to pull off the road when picking up passengers.
          9. NRA. To increase signage at every round a-bout so that drivers know how to use them reducing accidents and increasing traffic flow and effeciency of the current roads. Every one who sponsors a round about should pay for signage and not put objects in the round a-bout to obstruct drivers from seeing potential danger on the other side of the round a-bout.
          10.DVDL. to test people on how to drive. The standard to get a drivers license is way to low and easy.
          11. More people should be allowed to work remotely from home reducing the traffic. This applies to both gov and private sector.
          12. Gov and private sector to Stagger start work time for some employees. Benefit business make more money staying open longer and reduce traffic.
          13. Stagger school start times. Children in high school should be trained for an 8 hour day not for 6 hours. They often can not perform at work past 6 hours.
          14. Encourage home schooling.
          15.restrict the number of rental cars (i heard we have over 6000 rental cars in cayman) there by creating more jobs for caymanians. Each condo and hotel to have a shuttle bus service from and ti the aiport. Taxi tranaport people to restuarants. Shuttle bus to and from airport.
          There is more but i am sure i lost a lot of people because of the length of this text but you get the idea.

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      • SSM345 says:

        If I amm not mistaken there are 2 or 3 local companies who have been granted licenses to operate “Uberesque” companies however the CI Tax Association as well as Govt appear to be blocking them from actually commencing their operations…..over the last 3yrs since they were incorporated.

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        • Anonymous says:

          I think you are mistaken re CIG blocking. Now taxis not wanting to work with them so effectively blocking these apps is another story.

  9. Anonymous says:

    Build the dock.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Your leader’s brains lost its plasticity 25 years ago. It is fossilized. They wouldn’t know what to do even if they wanted to, including fixing the traffic problems.
    Like a broken record they keep saying (and doing) the same things again and again.
    Unless younger leaders step in, this places would become a Cuckoo’s Nest soon.

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    • Anonymous says:

      To 8.27 It is truly amazing that you see discrimination against older citizens as the solution to Cayman’s problems.Perhaps you would like to rewrite that last sentence so it is not discrimatory.

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    • Anonymous says:

      8:27 the big money people will still be in charge!

  11. Anonymous says:

    What are you going to do about Toxic dump, incinerator without filters, mosquitoes control chemicals, overcrowding, stressful commute, absence of safe bike and walking trails, dilapidated private septic tanks, noise pollution, light pollutions, contaminated north sound waters, never ending applications of herbicides, pesticides, insecticides?

    Grand Cayman has literally become “a mad scientist lab”. Its residents are unwitting guinea pigs.

    Yet, Premier is talking about anything but catastrophic, detrimental environment Grand Cayman residents live in.

    Pure madness.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Sadly people such as you are in a small minority in Cayman. The $ rules over the environment here. Until that mindset changes and you and me are in the majority, things will continue to be done with absolute environmental delinquency.

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    • Anonymous says:

      8:13 the talk shows boast we are in PARADISE!

  12. Anonymous says:

    He seems to think his economic policy of work permits for whomever can pay and residency for whomever will stay was pure genius. By allowing unrestricted circumvention of immigration policies that had been established by many smarter people over the years he has given away all of your children futures. Even work seems focused on facilitating the continued abuse of the system. Aldart is the most destructive leader you have ever had….XXXXX. Make sure your children know who destroyed their Cayman.

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    • Anonymous says:

      4:52pm, he is revving up for 2021, employment for Caymanians, that is filled by issuing more work permits. You can fool some the people, some of the time but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. How many work permits will be issued in 2020 Aldart?
      Waiting patiently for clashing of the TItans.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Vote every last one out we NEED NEW FRESH YOUNGER STRONGER LEADERSHIP

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      • Anonymous says:

        That would be great, however we need to people to stand up and put themselves forward, are you going to put your name forward?

      • Registered Voter says:

        Like who? Don’t we need these miracle workers to at least run in the election?

      • Anonymous says:

        Maybe, but this isn’t necessarily an age problem, it’s a disclosure and accountability problem. Voters need to petition to have the already Amended SIPL enacted, and that will bring character and mindset improvements to the LA, and all other senior Civil Service jobs. The prospect of inspection, embarrassment, and/or arrest for corruption, doesn’t yet exist in the Cayman Islands. ACC only has the power to make periodic examples of the little guys further down the chain that didn’t stay in their lane. Its enactment would be career-ending for many of the ineffectual position occupants at senior levels. CFATF will no doubt be discussing this regime’s reluctance to set any basic corruption standards in their next plenary. I can’t imagine voter myopia on this topic will be reviewed positively.

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  13. Anonymous says:

    The same people who have sat back and let traffic get out of hand over the past 20 years are now going to “solve” the issue they created and allowed to fester unabated

    And we are meant to thank them?
    For mitigating the messes they themselves created?

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    • Anonymous says:

      To mitigate the traffic problem:-
      – provide reliable public transportation
      – proper scheduling/routes
      – disallow permit holders to own vehicles
      – limit importation of used cars from Japan
      Have a great year Aldart.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Why does it matter which country the cars come from? If anything importing from Japan makes more sense since they are right hand drive. If you mean stop importation of older cars then say so.

      • Anonymous says:

        “– disallow permit holders to own vehicles” Yes! Because they are the cause!
        Most dingdong statement if I’ve ever heard one…
        This is the kind of reason people call you names about misogyny, banana republic, poorly educated, Absurdistan etc…

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  14. Anonymous says:

    It is disheartening to learn these are your top issues to deal with in the new year. We have children running away and committing suicide under the care of supposing qualified persons employed there. I ask why? The high cost of housing, the high cost of living, timely garbage collection, high amount of corruption within the civil services, poor customer services from the relevant government authorities, 40,000 work permits, the envorinment, high costs of medical and property insurances, discrimination in the work place, crime and equality in the work place. Why not tend to these considering these issues are affecting the lives of all who work, play, reside and visit?

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  15. Anonymous says:

    This man has become McKeeva Bush with a perm and tattoos before our very eyes. He cannot be trusted.

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  16. Anonymous says:

    Alden is a clown that drinks too much of his own Kool aid. He is worse than Big Mac and Juju combined because he was supposed to have sense. He insults people every time he speaks with his BS and lies. The only time he is in his element is at the Country and Western bar. Time to vote them all out. He sold out this country and its people.

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  17. Anonymous says:

    Traffic, oh where do we even start. How about with actual enforcement of the traffic laws? Seems too easy. Next, dismantle taxi mafia and shit driving local bus crazies.

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  18. Anonymous says:

    Resign and give up $15K a month? Not on your nelly.

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  19. Anonymous says:

    What achievements he is talking about. Name one.

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  20. Anonymous says:

    too little (as in empty words)…too late alden.

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  21. Anonymous says:

    what a bunch of soon-come waffle from do-nothing ppm.
    their incompetence is never ending.
    the traffic issue will be much worse this time next year and we will still have the same soundbites from alden/joey…zzzzzzzzz

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  22. Anonymous says:

    The crisis isn’t the Traffic, it’s his mismanagement of it. Bike lanes were part of the NRA Plan and budget since 2015. Who do they want to blame for failing to implement that!!?

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  23. Anonymous says:

    Civil unions or partnerships has to be available to all adults. Not everyone will want the label of marriage to protect their relationship. The UK has finally done this after a lengthy court battle. Let us not incur the same stupid costs. Times have changed.

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    • Anonymous says:

      I love it. I’d rather be in a civil partnership than a marriage. I dont believe in anything religious and would rather not partake in that foolishness.

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  24. Kurt Christian says:

    Vote No

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  25. Anonymous says:

    I thought Alden said he would resign if the vote went against him. why is he now back peddling and saying that he will just accept it…

    Come on Alden, you couldn’t give us one good thing to look forward to in 2020…Ah well, we will catch up with you in 2021..

    Happy New Year!

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    • Anonymous says:

      Exactly!

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    • Anonymous says:

      The underestimated support of the other side of your position is YOUR fault Mr. Premier. Any lawyer worth his salt should know better. Were you blinded? Was there something shiney and bright that held your attention one way?

      Had you and the Unity Govt members done a proposal, had public meetings about what was proppsed, accepted feedback from ALL of the voters who attended the meetings and write in with comments, then carried out the proper EIAs and surveys necessary, and then held a referendum or similar national vote, Mr. Premier you and the Unity Govt would have been well informed on how the voters felt about this project.

      But Mr. Premier what you and the Unity Govt members did was the opposite of what I list above. The Unity Govt tried to force this project down our gullets without any condensed milk, and now you acting like we should feel sorry for you all.

      But this is all your fault, the fault lies with you Mr. Premier, and with Moses, Joey, Tara, Juliana, Dwayne, David, Barbara, Eugene, Austin, Roy McT for their unwavering support of your leadership on this matter.

      But dont worry Mr. Premier, miracles do happen, and you will soon get many more miracles in 2020.

      My advice to you Mr. Premier, is to stop this cruise port proposal, save the Unity Govt the embarassment that will come if you continue, save the little bit if decency that may be left in your legacy as an MLA.

      Sleep with your eyes open because many can see that you are being played from within by McKeeva, Eugene, Austin and Dwayne.

      Humble yourself in 2020. There is no shame in listening to the people Mr. Premier.

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