I spy with my little eye

Moving about town, I see traffic officers in the evening on the pavement diagonally across from SPUR in the main street, so inattentive that a vehicle without any lights drive past. I see the parking spaces in Thabo Mbeki and Retief streets on the Woolworths corner developing into a taxi rank with no action being taken. I see a black BMW parked for a whole day in Hooge street across from the magistrates office, flush under a sign with that big crossed-out S, meaning you cannot even stop there.

I see lorries parked illegally all over town. Some of them park halfway onto pavements, destroying both culverts and pavement borders. Drive down Hooge street any time of day and chances are you will find one or more trucks parked such, especially both sides of the SAPS station. I see them pass one another in front of schools at the same time children are trying to cross the road. Why should a truck route through town take them past three schools at least?

I see vehicles slowing down to third gear at most at stop streets, but not bothering to stop. Why have stop streets at virtually every corner when no-one honours them?

I see an amazing variety of speed humps in town, all in different configurations. To quote a business owner of a spare parts business in town: “I like the speed humps. My sales for shock absorbers and vehicle suspension parts have never been higher.”

I see vehicles entering town from the South still travelling at 80km/h when they reach the traffic light at the High School, albeit having slowed down from 120 km/h at the Strydom street exit. I see taxis on the Baltimore road in the vicinity of the Mahwelereng Mall driving on the gravel shoulder of the road AGAINST oncoming traffic.

If I can see all this during my infrequent excursions into town, why can Mokopane Traffic Officers not see it also and do something about it? Or is it too comfortable under the trees in the morning on the corner of Ruiter/Geyser to escape the morning sun, moving in the afternoon to the corner of Ruiter/Voor to escape the afternoon sun?

I do not see clearly marked parking spaces or road dividing lines or even painted stop lines at street corners anymore. Nor do I see traffic officers going about their business, unless sitting in shady places is now your business.

Traffic Officers, please take control of the traffic situation in Mokopane and let your presence be felt. What is needed and expected of you, is another kind of visibility to sitting under trees.

If you are unwilling to confront erring motorists, no matter who they are, then please go and find a job where you are actually expected to do nothing – like sitting in a government office in some government departments. You are failing the law-abiding motorists of Mokopane bigtime.

Corinus du Toit is a columnist and his opinion does not necessarily reflect those of Bosveld Review and its staff, nor its parent company and sister publications.