Lack of management, then?

WITH reference to my letter of May 6 concerning the lack of traffic control on Edwin Swales Drive/south Coast Road when the traffic lights are out of order.

I received a visit from a captain and constable from the metro police at my home after 7pm on Sunday, May 13. Their arrival was announced by a blast of their vehicle siren in my driveway.

Their visit was to enquire why I wrote the letter to the press. I think my letter was self-explanatory – a lack of traffic control.

I was told officers could not control this intersection at that hour in the day, as they changed shift at 6am and 6pm and the officers had to return to Chatsworth to do their reports and hand over to the next shift who had to be briefed on the day’s events.

Also, because it is getting darker earlier these days and also due to health and safety reasons, even when wearing high-visibility reflective vests, they are not allowed to do point duty.

If this is the case, how come metro police carry out roadblocks at night? I was also told that we, as motorists, must get used to the four-way stop system when lights are not working. Imagine that system operating at South Coast Road/edwin Swales Drive with all the minibus taxis, cars and heavy trucks and road tankers. Chaos!

Something is wrong with metro police management. This is supposed to be a police force whose core function is traffic control, so they should be doing point duty at all major intersections where traffic lights are not working.

ADRIAN CUNDICK

Brighton Beach