Cops should ditch roadblocks and help ease load shedding traffic jams – AA

The Automobile Association (AA) has reiterated calls for traffic police to be better deployed during load shedding rather than setting up roadblocks.

The AA said more pointsmen needed to be stationed at intersections during peak hour loading shedding. It said while the checking of documents cannot be denied to ensure lawful driving, strained resources shouldn’t be focused on roadblocks that often lead to little action being taken.

Emphasis where it’s needed most

“If resources are too thinly spread, the deployment schedules of traffic law enforcers must be revisited, and priority must be given to addressing problems caused by rolling blackouts instead of checking for expired discs and licences,” the association said.

“We again call on the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), and the national and provincial Departments of Traffic to ensure such an approach is implemented countrywide as a matter of urgency.”

ALSO READ: AA: Urgent action needed at load shedding hit intersections

In an interview with The Citizen in January, AA spokesperson Layton Beard remarked that “checking for expired licence disks at roadblocks and fining people for this doesn’t result in safer driving”.

“The findings of this report [Traffic Law Enforcement Review Committee] got tabled in 2019 and around 20 different recommendations were drawn-up on how make traffic more effective, how many traffic enforcers are required to professionalise and where funding and resources will come from etc,” Beard said, adding that seemingly little has been applied since then.

Keep patient

In a statement on Tuesday, addressing the effects of load shedding and lack of personnel at busy intersections, the AA remarked, “the Traffic Law Enforcement Review Committee found that the country requires double the number of traffic officials than what it currently has, and the lack of traffic law enforcers during rolling blackouts emphasises that need”.

“In our view, certain aspects need to be prioritised. We need campaigns to properly educate individuals about road safety and the professionalisation of traffic law enforcement,” Beard said.

The AA has meanwhile emphasised vigilance when it comes to load shedding hitting intersections, saying motorists should remain patient and treat it as a four-way stop.

NOW READ: AA: Attitude towards seatbelt refusal needs ending