EMPD has more work than manning cameras
If you want to catch the transgressor, you will have to think and operate like the transgressors
CONCERNED RESIDENT writes:
As a concerned road user I need to point out the following:
1. Why is it necessary for five metro police patrol vehicles to be parked alongside Great North Road to man two speed-trapping devices?
These vehicles are normally hidden in the veld with the speed cameras set up adjacent to the street lights in the centre of the two roads. Surely these vehicles could be used in other areas in the Kempton precinct.
2. When we stop at the traffic light at Pomona Road, we are quite often overtaken by taxis ignoring the light and pushing past to turn into Pomona Road. You will from time to time find a patrol car monitoring this area.
I believe they should be there every day in either a patrol or unmarked vehicle. When they are there, all is well.
3. The famous Pretoria Road. Traffic enforcers just sitting under the trees near the Elgin road circle defeats the object. We need observers from Van Riebeeck Station all the way to the circle.
Taxis and even sometimes private vehicles seriously ignore road rules. They go off the road and zigzag between the road signs to push in as they wish. Taxis also use right- or left-turn lanes as a go-straight lane. This creates very dangerous situations.
4. Taxis coming around the Elgin circle just suddenly stop to offload passengers, and thereafter just pull off again, totally disregarding any oncoming traffic.
5. Overtaking on solid lines directly into oncoming traffic, to just push in again.
6. Whenever there is a roadblock on Pretoria Road, you will find that taxis go up Elgin Road, turn right into Olienhout Street to find their way to the P91. Turning right from Elgin Road sometimes takes place from the left lane directly in front of cars in the right-hand turning lane.
7. In the morning there seem to be several taxis coming down Olienhout Street to find cars waiting at the traffic light at Elgin Mall. These cars just overtake in the oncoming lane. At the light these taxis and some cars turn left into the mall, going past the cars waiting at the traffic light.
8. We also see cars and taxis coming down Elgin Road, passing cars on the left waiting to go down Elgin Road. They then either continue straight on and push in or either go left through the BP garage, using the one-way road into the garage to get into Elgin Road.
These vehicles normally transport schoolchildren.
Please, pass this on to the traffic department. I am sure there is more work out here than sitting watching cameras. Lots of prosecutions can take place here. This will create a safe environment for all road users.
Something must be done. If you want to catch the transgressors, you will have to think and operate like the transgressors.
The metro police failed to reply to Kempton EXPRESS’ query – Editor
