Motoring offenders attracted to ghosts
THE Nelson Mandela Bay “ghost squad” does not need to find the violations – the violations find them.
This is according to metro police superintendent Trevor Smith, who assisted in an operation in Walmer yesterday.
Doing their rounds in the morning peakhour traffic, the squad’s mission is clear – clamp down on traffic violations.
Members of the media were invited to observe the operation in the busy Port Elizabeth suburb, with several offenders unwittingly coming face to face with law enforcement officials.
Squad member Constable Shuaib Bezuidenhout said while taxi drivers were the worst offenders, having a cellphone in hand while driving was a regular offence with other motorists.
Since hitting the streets last month, the ghost squad has issued hundreds of thousands of rands worth of fines and arrested at least 20 motorists, with offences varying from driving under the influence of alcohol to overloading and road rage.
The ghost squad vehicles, which easily blend into traffic, are fitted with cameras to assist the squad in proving that a violation has occurred.
“There have been instances where people don’t want to stop when we flag them down because of the unmarked car, but comply once they see our uniforms,” Bezuidenhout said.
Smith said the operation was aimed at curbing the general disregard for traffic laws and ensuring public safety on the Bay’s roads.
“If you commit an offence, there are consequences – and they could be dire consequences,” he said.
“We are not just talking about fines, safety is also a very important aspect.”
The ghost squad team is made up of 32 officials who work in groups of eight patrolling parts of the city every day.
But while some offenders may get off on an educational warning, depending on the severity of the offence, others can be fined up to R5 000.
Thereafter, an arrest had to be made, Smith said.
“But our success is not determined by the number of fines we hand out. Our success is measured on public safety,” he said.