EMPD: These accusations are very unfair
Stop hiding behind your speed traps and actually do something useful
BARRY from Terenure writes:
I would like to know why there is never any traffic law enforcement with regard to stopping at red traffic lights or stop streets.
The authorities are only interested in speed traps. It seems that the focus is on revenue generation and activities for personal gain. Actual road safety is not a concern.
We all see total lawlessness at our major intersections every day, yet the authorities do nothing to change the behaviour that really does cause accidents and deaths.
Come on, metro cops! Stop hiding behind your speed traps and actually do something useful.
Chief Supt Wilfred Kgasago, metro police spokesman, replies:
This kind of constant accusation levelled against the EMPD is tiring and disillusioning. The perennial “stop hiding behind the bushes” accusation is very unfair.
When complaints are received from the community that speeding takes place at a particular place, we attend to that to bring to book the offenders. If a child is run over or a perimeter wall is damaged due to speeding, again the very same “concerned members of the public” point fingers at us.
The fact that in our absence, in particular locations at particular times, mayhem prevails, should not be entirely be blamed on the metro police as we can never be at all the places at all times.
I have said it before and will reiterate that some motorists feel they can do as they wish and put lives of law-abiding road users at risk because the metro police happen to be not there. We are well aware of the places, especially during both the morning and afternoon peaks, where such irresponsible behaviour by some drivers takes place and we do our utmost best to blitz them periodically.
Not forgetting that our mandate covers three major areas, prevention of crime, traffic policing and by-law enforcement. Let the moaners, in the light of our extended mandate, take the ratio of metro police officers to the number of vehicles and irresponsible drivers out there, and do an honest computation.
