| Plans to install improved security lighting and Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) in Bridgetown are being accelerated in the wake of the fire which took the lives of six young women last Friday night.
President of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Andy Armstrong, said today that while both initiatives were part of the Revitalisation of Bridgetown project now underway, the lost of life so tragically in Campus Trendz store on Tudor Street was “a wake up call” for Barbados and required urgent action where this venture was concerned.
At the same time, the business leader also called for “the urgent implementation” of a national building code, a call he said the chamber had made “over the years” and urged all members of the private sector to “review their emergency arrangements to ensure that safety is a paramount concern”.
Armstrong noted that improved security and lighting were the first projects identified for the revitalisation venture and said these would be pursued with greater urgency.
“Closed Circuit television cameras were agreed as one way to address the safety issue and an increase in both the number of streetlights and the strength of lighting were identified as a way to address the lighting issue. Funds have been identified for the CCTV, but certain procedures must be followed before they can be installed,” he said.
“We will be redoubling our efforts to have that procedure speeded up. On the issue of lighting, we are confident that funds can be accessed to improve this and we will be working closely with the relevant government departments to ensure that this happens in a short time frame.”
The Chamber president pointed out that since May 2008 that organisation and other partners involved in the process held two strategic retreats and met with numerous stakeholders “in order to get some momentum going on this initiative”.
“The process has been slow but we realise that we cannot affect change unless we align all stakeholders and we have continued to be outwardly patient and very persistent in our efforts to push the process. Last Friday’s events highlight that we must do whatever we can to accelerate the process,” he said.
Armstrong also noted that the BCCI’s recent 185th anniversary walk around Bridgetown highlighted some of the challenges facing the city, many of them related to security and safety, including fire.
“Bridgetown has an incredible history and many well kept buildings and facilities but there are too many buildings in bad repair with the potential for a major disaster in the event of fire. While our group of 25 persons did not feel particularly threatened by the many street dwellers who approached us during our walk, none of us would have been comfortable doing the walk on our own, especially after the sun had set,” he said.
“The walk brought home to us very clearly that, for Bridgetown to be a place where people feel comfortable after regular working hours, safety and lighting have to be improved.”
Armstrong extended condolences on behalf of the Chamber to everyone affected by the tragedy. (SC) (Barbados Today) |
