Francesca Tavares | The Road March to nowhere: When ‘Carnival spirit’ trumps civic rights

For one Sunday every year, the Kingston Metropolitan Area (KMA) is transformed. But for the thousands of Jamaicans who haven't shelled out for a "costume" or a truck-side wristband, it isn't a transformation into a tropical utopia – it’s a descent into administrative gridlock and civic hostage-taking.

What is marketed as a vibrant expression of culture has increasingly become a parade for the privileged and a nuisance for the masses. While revelers enjoy the curated euphoria of the Road March, the rest of the city is left to navigate a landscape of blocked arteries, public lewdness, and a startling disregard for the rights of the non-paying public.

HELD HOSTAGE IN THE CORPORATE AREA

The current route for Carnival in Kingston seems almost surgically designed for maximum inconvenience. By snaking through the heart of central Kingston, the event effectively severs the city in two. For residents in the surrounding communities, the choice is simple: stay inside and wait for the bass to stop shaking your windows, or risk being trapped in a vehicular purgatory.

The lack of accessibility to main roads is not just an annoyance for those trying to get to the grocery store; it is a matter of public safety.

Among those caught in this administrative trap this past Sunday was a driver apparently attempting to reach the University of the West Indies (UWI) Hospital. Entombed in a stagnant line of vehicles with no exit in sight, I watched – also similarly stuck. It was only through the intervention of a kind police officer – who appeared and escorted him from the suffocating queue – that the individual was able to proceed.

In a city where minutes matter for medical emergencies, and where hospitals exist along and/or are impacted by the route (Nuttall, UWI, St Jospeh’s, Medical Associates, etc.), should a parade ever be allowed to create such a wall?

THE IMBALANCE OF RIGHTS

There is a fundamental lack of balance in how permits are granted. The government and municipalities have a duty to protect the "quiet enjoyment" and freedom of movement of all citizens – not just those who have paid for the privilege of revelry.

• Public Lewdness & Non-consensual Exposure: While "free-spiritedness" is the brand, the reality of public nudity and lewd behaviour on public thoroughfares is a bitter pill, particularly for families and children who did not sign up for the show; as well as for many other citizens who did not consent to participate and would prefer not to witness.

• The ‘Pay-to-Play’ City: Public roads are taxpayer-funded infrastructure. When they are cordoned off for the exclusive use of private promoters and their high-paying patrons, it sends a clear message: the pleasure of the few outweighs the productivity and peace of the many. In a country that already struggles with the effects of classism…this should be borne in mind.

• Civic Erosion: The tone-deaf inconsideration shown toward those trying to go about their daily lives – heading to work, church, or the hospital etc. – is growing increasingly weary for a populace already burdened by urban stressors.

A SOLUTION IN THE WEST: THE TRELAWNY PIVOT

The frustration of the Kingston public is at a breaking point, but the solution doesn't have to mean the death of Carnival. In fact, the answer lies in the Western end of the island, where the infrastructure for mass entertainment actually exists without strangling a capital city.

The Trelawny Multipurpose Stadium stands as a colossal, underutilised asset. Moving the main festivities to this region would be a masterstroke for both the economy and social order:

1. Economic Revitalisation: Relocating to the West would supplement declining interest in once-traversed areas like Negril and Treasure Beach.

2. The BnB Boom: Instead of a one-day traffic jam in Kingston, turn the event into a week-long festival. Patronage for local hotels, BnBs, and small businesses in Trelawny and St James would skyrocket.

3. Dedicated Zones: By using designated entertainment zones, promoters can create a more immersive (and lucrative) experience without infringing on the rights of those who wish to avoid the noise and nudity.

A CALL TO THE MINISTRY & RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS

It is time for the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, along with the respective municipalities and permit granters, to stop the "tone-deaf" approach to KMA approvals.

We must ask: Why are we punishing the working public for the pleasure of the few? Event holders should see this not as a restriction, but as an opportunity for greater profit and community endearment. Moving Carnival away from the dense residential and medical corridors of Kingston shows a level of civic maturity that is currently lacking.

Let the revelers enjoy themselves responsibly – in a space that welcomes them, rather than in a city that is growing increasingly weary of being stepped on by a platform boot.

- Francesca Tavares is an Attorney-at-Law. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com