Dear Editor

In March, I wrote letter to the editor, which was printed, asking the commissioner of police and the head of the Traffic Department who was exempt from violation of traffic laws.

I was very pleased when Inspector Julian Samuel issued notice to the public that from April, persons who violate traffic laws, especially in St John’s would face the full penalty of the law.

However, for the past eight weeks, I have noticed, taken pictures, spoken to traffic police, including Inspector Samuel and also traffic wardens about those persons who insist on parking on yellow lines and putting blocking devices in front of their stores. For some reason, nothing is done about these.

There is also a vendor who is erecting pallets and tables on the yellow lines at a spot on Church Street, opposite the back of St John’s Police Station, on Thursday afternoons.

By Friday afternoon, the huge tent with more paraphernalia joins the pallets and tables and that large structure, which is more than 15 feet into the road, remains on the yellow lines until late in the morning on Sunday.

The relevant authority has pictures of this complaint and has done nothing about it to date.

I told Inspector Samuel that he will be under scrutiny and be accused of operating under double standards if this situation is not addressed.

I have sent emails to Sergeant Quammie and asked him to forward to Inspector Samuel because I don’t have Samuel’s email address.  These emails are equipped with pictures of those persons about whom I speak.

It is not fair that the authorities ticket or tow some, and leave others. It has been established that it is against the law to put any type of blocking device on the (public) road to secure a spot for oneself and I have been told for the past seven years that if I need to park, I can move the blocking devices to the sidewalk and park.

I have debated with the authorities that if I or anyone else does that, a confrontation could ensue, which happened three times in the past six months.

Why doesn’t Inspector Samuel put things in place to make those persons who are blocking the road to secure a spot for themselves understand that they cannot continue to do such?

Why do I always have to be in a confrontation with the persons who are doing what the law says is wrong?  And when I call the police and tell them about the situation, no one comes?

I am hoping that Inspector Samuel will respond.