adminTHE presence of traffic police officers on our roads is a welcome development as they are there to enforce road rules and ensure safe travel.
The world over, traffic cops are deployed on the highways for safety and security reasons.
However, in recent weeks I have received numerous calls from motorists complaining about some roadblocks that are being mounted on our roads.
Their displeasure is premised on the nature and location of the blocks which are mounted at dangerous spots.
Last year, traffic police officers at national level conducted public awareness campaigns in Mutare in which they asked members of the public to air their grievances in relation to the operation of the police on the highways. They also took the opportunity to educate people on what is expected of highway police.
One of the subjects discussed revolved around the mounting of police blocks. The police said roadblocks are mounted at the part of the road where motorists can easily see that there is a block ahead. As such, blocks are not mounted on curves, uphill or some blind corners.
Secondly, it was also revealed that each police block must be accompanied by a visible road sign, put well before the block, which reads that there are police officers ahead. All this is done to ensure that motorists have the time to slow down and stop when told to do so.
However, it seems the opposite is happening on our roads around the city.
Most of the blocks are not accompanied by road signs which signal their existence. Motorists are just bumping in traffic cops at dangerous spots.
This has often resulted in fatal road accidents as at times the motorist fails to brake and hit the officer.
Several stories have been carried in the local Press in which kombi drivers run over traffic cops. When I was driving into town some weeks ago, I nearly caused an accident after a traffic police officer came from nowhere and signalled me to stop just as I was approaching him.
He stood in the middle of the road. I applied emergency brakes, but the car swerved off the tarmac. Luckily there were no pedestrians around, but it was going to be a disaster. Had these officers erected posts to signal their presence I was going to slow down and wait for instructions?
So, when that happens the police are causing accidents rather than preventing them as they should do. We ask those responsible to stick to the basics and ensure that visible signals are put in place each time there is a block.
There is no need by the police to ambush motorists and as such blocks that are mounted along curves should be relocated to better places.
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Online Reporter