TRAFFIC, ALL ITS TRIALS

Sir,

As we are all aware the traffic situation gets more critical every day. The standard of driving seems to be falling, and flouting of the rules of the road occurs right in front of the traffic police in many instances.

It seems that major concern of the Traffic Department is to find areas where they can catch motorist for some infringement just so as to raise money. For instance, in the last few weeks in Manzini, we have had a problem with traffic lights which seem to function sporadically. For over a week the traffic lights as one enters Manzini town opposite the Manzini Club were not functioning. With pupils going to school and the rush to work, the Traffic Department did not see it fit to get an officer to control the traffic.

However, in Manzini there is a stop sign on a back street below Sidney Williams School. It has a three-way junction. Many people over the years have found that the stop lines get covered over by mud, and it is positioned in an awkward area. Most people approach with caution because they are also watching the driver in their rear as many drivers do not stop there, however, despite this, most drivers practically come to a stop, (one cannot go fast as there are huge potholes in the road), and they are then caught by up to five traffic officers sitting under a tree watching this particular intersection.

Sector

This sector seems to rake in the cash due to the number of vehicles I have seen stopped and getting tickets there. Amazingly no personnel can be spared for our major highway with hundreds of cars coming into the city daily but five can be used for watching a fairly safe stop street!

Some weeks ago I left Ezulwini at around 5.30pm and ran into football traffic at Somhlolo Stadium. Again chaos, as there did not seem to be anyone to control traffic. This was compounded by rain, so again people were left to their own devices. Getting from Parliament to the highway took an hour. Motorists were using all sides of the road, forcing oncoming traffic nearly of the road.

Control

There was one solitary policeman who could not control the mess. Finally, about an hour later I managed to get to the bridge and take the highway to Manzini. Now it was still raining but practically all drivers were engaged in a race. Barely 3km up the road I found a mess of between seven to 10 cars that had cascaded into one another and ended up nearly blocking the highway. There were no officers apart from a police unit which ‘seemed’ to also have been involved in the pile-up.
I would, however, also like to bring up another very serious issue. Here in Eswatini when you follow someone driving erratically, you can be nearly certain that that driver is either talking on the phone or even worse texting!

Many times I have answered my cellphone to inform the caller I will phone them back and end the call. I know this is still wrong and have been caught twice doing exactly that and fined. However, I challenge the people in authority to simply stand at a stop street in Manzini or Mbabane and they would be shocked by the huge number of people with phones literally glued to their ears or texting. Something drastic has to done about this. For most people, especially new drivers, driving a car is complex enough but add cellphone operation and texting, I am sorry it is beyond the scope of most people.

This would probably account for some of the strange accidents we witness and the high prevalence of damage done to the barriers on the main highway.
Finally, the incessant roadblocks at the Mhlaleni Filling Station as one is driving to Manzini. Sometimes on a very busy day they cause traffic to bunch up so that as one enters Manzini you have choke points of traffic. It may serve the Traffic Department well to study how such things are done elsewhere but I feel our Traffic Department feels it knows it all. Forget about the effect on business and free flow of our already congested roads. Maybe they have statistics of what these roadblocks achieve; wanted criminals, licence offenders, stolen vehicles, drug dealers etc. These roadblocks certainly do not improve the safety on our roads; they are merely static barriers that achieve very little, especially if they are repeated nearly every day.
A final humorous fact; when traffic officers setup this roadblock another group of officers setup a speed trap near RFM. This roadblock caused the traffic to bunch up so badly that the speed trap became useless, thus no money collection which I suppose defeated the point of the exercise.
Offence
A serious offence that is overlooked in Eswatini is the way parents allow children as young as two years of age, to stand up in a moving vehicle with no restraints or car seats. In our neighbouring country, RSA, this is mandatory and one is fined as this is totally irresponsible. Children should be strapped in securely. Do they not realise that in even a fairly moderate collision, the child will be propelled through the windscreen? Please grown-ups if you want to be reckless or stupid, do it when it does not put your children in danger!

Fred duPreez
MANZINI

NOTE: In an effort to afford them the right to reply, this letter was emailed to the police service on February 26, 2019. But unfortunately there has been no response.
Ed
 
 

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