Need traffic officers on Stanford Road

EVERY morning my family and I travel down Stanford Road on our way to Newton Park and Korsten respectively.

It is about a 40-minute drive, but each morning the traffic on this piece of road is getting more congested and more dangerous.

When the IPTS buses were launched we were all excited because this would have relieved the traffic on Stanford Road.

Unfortunately this has not materialised, but now the minibus taxis and cars are using the designated lane which was supposed to be used by the buses.

They are travelling at very high speeds and cutting in at the end of the lane to move to the left hand lane to travel to Korsten.

On a number of occasions I have had to do an emergency stop to prevent an accident with a minibus taxi which was full of commuters.

I fear for the day something terrible happens and lives are lost because of this dangerous practice by the minibus taxis and certain cars.

At the beginning of the year metro police officers were often seen stationed in the lane to prevent anybody from using it and to help with the flow of traffic.

For the last month-and-a-half we have not seen one traffic officer being stationed or issuing traffic fines to users of this lane.

My estimation is that close to 2 000 cars and taxis use this road from 6.50 to 7.40 each morning.

I know the metro is quite big and there are lots of busy roads, but I appeal to the traffic authorises to please station at least two traffic officers on this road to prevent lives being lost.

It is only for about one hour in the morning and an hour in the evening, just to help with flow of traffic and to protect us from the minibus taxis and those breaking the laws of the road.

We need to see traffic officers across the metro where there is high traffic congestion and where these minibus taxis are abusing their fellow motorists.

This will lead to less stress on the road and more motorists respecting the law of the roads.

Where are our traffic officers during this time when we need them the most and what are they doing?

Herchelle Brugh, Fernwood Park, Port Elizabeth