The decision to close Harbour Road for emergency repairs cannot be faulted.

The road was in danger of collapse as a result of damage from Fabian and the subsequent heavy rain of the last few weeks and leaving it would have been utterly irresponsible.

At the same time, this is not the first time one of the major arteries to the West End from Hamilton has been closed and it would seem reasonable that better contingency plans should be in place for events of this kind.

In the case of Harbour Road, different decisions seemed to be being made at different times.

On Thursday morning some commuters on Harbour Road were able to drive almost the whole length and were diverted around the immediate area of the repairs via Highwood Lane and Lovers Lane .

But others were diverted up Chapel Road into the already backed up traffic on Middle Road.

When commuters were leaving Hamilton, the entire city was gridlocked because all traffic was being directed up Trimingham Hill, rather than being diverted around Lovers Lane.

At the same time, extra ferries were only added to the schedule on Thursday, while the parking available at Rockaway and elsewhere was quickly filled up anyway.

In emergency situations like this, it should be possible to have other traffic diversion plans in place. Some two-way roads could be designated as one-way roads (under Police supervision) to ease the flow of traffic.

And extra ferries and buses should be laid on to encourage people to leave their cars at home.

Asking people to be patient is simply not enough in these circumstances. More broadly, this reflects the bigger problem that Bermuda has with traffic - there is simply too much of it.

That the closure of one road can bring the Island to a virtual standstill drives that point home.

This is not all Government's responsibility. when the Causeway was re-opened to one-way traffic, many single commuters got back in their cars and went on their solitary way when car-pooling would have eased the congestion for everyone.

And with one floor of Bulls Head car park closed so that another level can be added, parking in Hamilton has become a daily nightmare.

Transport Minister Ewart Brown deserves credit for adding the fast ferries, which have shown their worth. And recent events have justified the decision to add more vessels to the fleet.

What's also needed is the identification of decent parking at ferry stops in the West End or the addition of more minibus routes in the surrounding area timed to ferry departures and arrivals so that people will feel comfortable leaving their cars at home.

At the same time, Government and businesses need to look more seriously at the virtues of flexi-time and telecommuting to relieve the strain on Hamilton's roads and parking areas. And the time has certainly come for new offices to be required to at least provide some on-site parking.

Finally, the construction of more apartment complexes along the lines of Sir John Swan's Atlantis would reduce traffic - because people working in Hamilton would already be living in the city.