As residents may have noticed, currently under way in the City of Belmopan is a Traffic Enhancement Safety Project which involves the marking and signage of several junctions within Belmopan that links with the Constitution Drive. It is a most welcomed project, yet some residents have already begun to complain that many of the markings have started to disappear already.

Simeon Lopez, Mayor, Belmopan
That project is still ongoing; it is not to be completed until the end of December, which means that we still have about three more weeks to go and that’s weather permitting as well. The funding agency, through the Social Investment Fund is aware of the problem with the paint and we have been assured that there was a meeting a few days ago and they discussed that they are still trying to get a higher quality paint to re-do the job. They will have to do a lot of it again. Also, there is a pedestrian crossing by the Angelus Press that they painted that is almost gone and they will do that again. So they are trying to get better quality paint. It is very difficult to get the quality paint in Belize, all the paint manufactures tell you that their paint is the best and it will last; however we are seeing that that is not so.

Besides the fading paint, other concerns are that the guidelines painted on the pavement cannot be seen by drivers. We asked the Mayor if the project will address that problem.

Jesse Mendoza, PlusTV Journalist
Will a part of that project be to put reflectors or cats-eyes on that line, so that they can see it at night?

Simeon Lopez
Not that project, that will have to be done by the city council, out of the city council funds, because this project is being done with the city council; however, it is not a city council funding, it is a part of the loan from the World Bank Pilot Project. So the cats-eyes are not part of the marking, so that will have to be done through the city council’s funds.

Jesse Mendoza
Will the city council consider doing it?

Simeon Lopez
Well we are considering doing that, definitely. If it’s not cats-eyes, I understand that there are some other little reflectors that you can sprinkle down the road or reflected paint, but that's what the engineers will decide.

As the Mayor, stated the project is expected to be completed by the end of this month.

PlusTV