One of the causes of traffic turmoil in the countryside is the haphazard way drivers park their vehicles. In most big or even small villages, drivers stop their vehicles whenever and wherever they want, ignoring dangerous curves, unbroken white lines, school or other public building entrances, etc. Whilst the police are always very strict in Port Louis and other towns on the issue of unauthorized parking and waiting, elsewhere they tend to be lenient. In some villages, the absence of policemen encourages drivers to misbehave at will. It could also be that policemen may not regard a badly parked car on a village main road as a major threat because of the relatively low traffic using the road as compared to a town.

Whatever the case, it is high time that the police become very strict in enforcing rules in villages as well. How many of us regularly see cars, trucks, delivery vans,etc parked by the side of the road, on a bend, near pedestrian crossings, on pavements, on yellow lines, etc in villages? Or find car drivers stopping to chat with motorcyclists or cyclists side by side, causing minor obstructions? We also frequently see two buses stopping side by side and their drivers chatting whilst passengers have to wait ?

In villages, drivers just stop anywhere to go to shops, etc. Some shops do not have parking space yet they have been allowed to operate by their respective District Councils. Some vehicles park as if they own the road! This is the case at Circonstance junction where heavy trucks belonging to a local garage occasionally obstruct the road, yet no-on dares say anything!

<B>No space for pedestrians</B>

Most villages do not have proper footpaths and pedestrians have to walk on the road, exposed to danger from careless drivers. In some areas, like Pereybere, Cap Malheureux and Grand Bay, where a recent accident sparked an outcry and a bus was burnt, private walls and fences have been constructed almost on the main road, without leaving the necessary strip of land reserve. As a result, there is no space for pedestrians. The authorities should have demolished these illegal walls to create a footpath for the public. Sadly, this was not done, as the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has simply installed some speed humps in the area. The hazard is still there. In many areas, there is an open canal in lieu of a pavement by the side of the road, and this is poses a serious danger to road users. Some roads are prone to accidents due to their bad state or poor maintenance. Forget pot-holes! By now, all Mauritian drivers are accustomed to pot holes?. However, in some areas, for example at La Salette Rd, The Vale, concrete manhole covers rise above the road surface and drivers have to zig-zag to avoid a nasty bump. At other places, there is no advance warning of speed humps ahead. Worse, at Sir Edgar Laurent St in Plaine Verte, a few metres away from the police station, the white markings on the hump have faded. Examples abound of such dangerous situations across the island and everybody is aware of them, except the RDA.

Even road signs can be confusing, as recently pointed out by Week End. It is also unjustified that the maximum speed allowed is 90km in built up areas like Pailles. At least in Roche Bois it is at a reasonable 60 km. Speeds should be kept low and strictly controlled on stretches of motorway that cross residential areas. A recent press advert by the STC reveals that on every litre of gasoline fuel sold, 35 cents go to the RDA. Add to that the millions collected by the authorities from motorists in the form of car registration, MVL, etc. Where does all this money go to, if it is not being used for road construction and maintenance? We wonder if there is any team that carries out weekly inspections on our road network to detect any potential hazard or shortcoming. What are the roles of ministerial advisers? Are they confined to air conditioned offices or are they active on fieldwork?

After road safety, road security is another pressing issue. It is customary for some people to voice their anger by attacking vehicles involved in accidents. Drivers of such vehicles have no option but to flee the scene. In so doing, they may even cause further damage to property or put more lives at risk. Tough legislation should be brought in to severely punish anyone who inflicts damage on private property at the scene of an accident. Also, once the police and emergency services have arrived and attended to the injured, passers-by should be discouraged from standing around and playing spectators. An accident is not a free show where other motorists slow down to watch or even stop and leave their vehicles to come and witness the scene. This not only causes further obstruction, but also increases threats to other road users. Anyone not obeying police orders to move away should be booked and fined.

<B>Massive police presence</B>

Over the past weeks, there has been an overwhelming police presence on our roads. Compared to previous years, according to press reports, the 2004 year- end festive season has seen a drastic reduction in the crime, theft, etc usually associated with this period. The Commissioner of Police should be congratulated for his efforts and initiatives. Unfortunately, due to several constraints, it is not always possible to keep up this massive police presence throughout the year, even though the Commissioner has promised to increase the number of officers on the beat. However, if resources are used optimally, it is possible to bring crime down. In addition to regular police patrols especially at night, it is a good idea to provide a fully equipped police team on our most used roads, say one team every 5 kilometres or at each round-about on the motorway. They could thus easily detect any suspicious vehicle and immediately warn the team ahead. This measure will be of great benefit to taxi drivers on night duty. Decentralization of police stations should also be envisaged. Each village should have its own police post, and schemes like neighbourhood watch etc should be implemented. Increased local police presence will foster greater rapport and communication between local communities and the police, thus giving a boost to public confidence in the police force. Furthermore,a police presence should be maintained at all times in crowded areas and at notorious ?hot? spots.

Though it has been proven that most accidents occur due to carelessness and speeding, it is equally true that in many cases poor road infrastructure that does not meet acceptable norms is to be blamed.

Let?s hope things will change in 2005. However change will only come if people start realizing their rights and applying pressure on the authorities. Judging by the "tone" of columns by young opinion writers in the press, it seems that the new generation is definitely awakening.

<B>Mohammed HAMUTH</B>