After what I saw this morning I want to shout it out – AARTO will not make our roads safer.
As a matter of fact, I am of the opinion that the system will only be to the detriment of the law-abiding road users who make honest mistakes.
And it is incidents like the one I witnessed this morning which I am sure will have most road users agree with me.
Here I am travelling down Swartkoppies towards Alrode and stopped at the traffic light where traffic comes from the R59 onto Swartkoppies.
Now you have to understand that for the past week or so, there was a blue Golf parked on the yellow lane with hazards flashing, and two EMPD officers on point – every day.
To my astonishment, as we are waiting for the light to turn green, people turning onto Swartkoppies bridge again in a white double-cab bakkie, and four taxis pushing their way into traffic onto Swartkoppies, illegally formed a third lane turning onto the bridge.
I noticed how the one taxi nearly pushed a driver out of the way, driving down the yellow lane, where I have to add, the EMPD officers were standing idly, chatting away, and doing nothing about the obvious infringement.
Did they react? No. Did they try and stop the taxi? No. Did they even blink? Again another no. They just carried on, and even pointed a finger at the lady driving the car which was nearly pushed out of the way, when she gestured to them to do something.
This is totally unacceptable.
And let me tell you the AARTO system will not make our roads safer simply because of things like these.
It will not stop:
• Drivers from forming illegal lanes.
• It will not stop innocent, law-abiding road users, being pushed out of the way and off the roads.
• It will not stop idiots from speeding and driving too close to the vehicle in front of them on highways.
• It will not stop taxis from dropping off and picking up passengers in slipways
• It will not stop taxis from stopping dead in turns around corners to pick up passengers.
• It will not stop taxis from putting their passengers’ lives in danger every single day they travel in these taxis
• It will not stop idiots from sounding their horns when you follow the rules of the road simply because they don’t know, or don’t care about them.
• It means nothing with actions like those of the two EMPD officers I witnessed this morning.
And yes, I may be harping on about taxis, but they truly are the biggest offenders not giving a damn about the lives of their passengers, or of other road users.
The AARTO system is just another pie in the sky promise for safer roads which will yield no positive results.
Gatvol driver
The letter was forwarded to EMPD for comment.
