New traffic officers must not just hide behind a bush

I SEE that the city council has decided to address Cape Town’s rampant disregard for traffic rules by increasing its traffic enforcement complement by up to 90 officers.

This is great news but unless the additional capacity is applied correctly, it will make about as much difference as a single drop of rain in a puddle.

We need aggressive and visible law enforcement to curb the ever escalating lawlessness on our roads.

What is frightening is the marked increase in jumping red traffic lights.

This is being done with absolute and blatant arrogance.

Less dangerous but equally disturbing is the disregard for solid barrier lines, which along with red no-stopping lines and yellow lane arrows, are being seen as colourful decorations on our tarred roads.

Let us not even mention the almost universal use of cellphones, especially texting, while driving.

If these new traffic officers are merely going to be issued with a camera and told to find a bush to hide behind, then may I suggest an easier and cheaper method of drastically lowering the statistics of traffic offences?

Simply replace every stop sign in the city with a yield sign, then at least all the motorists who fail to stop will no longer be breaking the law, except of course for those who cross without slowing down.

What we do not want is more examples of new regulations (which are in any case not enforced and only serve to irritate law-abiding drivers) which attempt to address the results instead of the cause.

An example of this asinine practice is the new “pause for pedestrians” delay at traffic intersections.

Now our already stressed traffic flow sits and waits for the one or two dawdling pedestrians to amble across and then, once the lights change, more pedestrians, as in the past, still cross against the traffic.

I was amused the other day when a motorist stopped, looked around at the four sets of red lights, paused and then crossed as if it was a four way stop. THEO VON SOLMS Oranjezicht