There has been yet another tragic accident involving a speeding ZR van. The van smashed into two elderly visitors who were crossing Hastings main road near St. Matthias gap on Friday evening 6th Nov 09 around 3.30 pm.
According to a witness, the van was not in sight as the couple set out to cross the road. The van was going so fast on the bend with a full load that it could not stop in time. The two visitors (in their 70’s) were taken away with broken bones and internal injuries. To reach that age and to have the few remaining years destroyed by an aggressive van driver through no fault of your own is sad to the extreme.
Two days before this I was nearly killed by a blue bus on a section of the road with no sidewalk in the same area. The side of the bus actually touched my arm as I leaned against the wall of a house. The bus was doing at least 70k in a 30 mph zone.
This madness has to stop.
As for the ZR.s the system is wrong. The drivers have to make the daily rent for the vehicle before they can pay themselves. This puts a lot of pressure on the driver to try to get passengers any way they can and drive as fast as possible in the busy periods to make as much money as possible. For a public service vehicle this is a conflict of interest putting everybody’s lives at risk.
In lean times, like now, the pressure is even greater.
I gather that we will have more American visitors this year due to Jet Blue etc. I fear for them as they are not accustomed to left hand driving and small roads with no sidewalks.
What will it take for the authorities to build proper sidewalks, enforce the 30 mph speed limit and change the way the ZR.s operate.?
Yours,
Concerned Hastings Resident
(photo of speeding ZR by Shona)
Barbados Free Press 