In response to the article, Flaunting laws, week ending 28 November.
Thank you for bringing to public attention the appalling habit of illegal parking on both sides of Baker Street, narrowing the street to impossible dimensions.
I have often stopped and spoken to these drivers, including that of the tour bus which brings guests to the Chinese Restaurant and waits there for hours while blocking a turning lane.
I have never seen Metro police law enforcement in action there.
Around the corner in Oxford Road going north towards Sandton, there is a firmly entrenched habit of turning the left hand lane into a drop-off zone for the Gautrain, a parking zone for picking up fast food from the Zone ground floor or for deliveries to any of the businesses on the Oxford side.
This makes a mockery of the new wide and easy flowing Oxford Road; it has one lane perpetually taken up by selfish parkers. I have once (about a year ago) spotted law enforcement there and was so delighted that I turned round to personally go and congratulate the officers on clearing up such a frustration. Of course it takes a daily presence there for many months to break a habit which now has become ‘everybody does it’.
Similar disregard for a red line reigns opposite the Killarney Mall where drivers avoiding parking fees in the centre itself block one lane in Killarney Avenue to the irritation of all drivers.
This while there is ample free street parking in 1st, 2nd and 3rd Streets just off the blocked avenue.
There I have twice had the joy of seeing the Metro police in action about 10 years.
Wayne Minnaar should try and phone his own report line to hear how complaints are dealt with; it is a waste of a call.
He seems to think that 626 fines handed personally to traffic light offenders in all seven regions of Johannesburg over one month is an achievement in law enforcement! He should rather conceal such an embarrassing figure; one can match that in one day at one single traffic light on one of the main roads in your circulation area.
