Gardai have no traffic priorities, only revenue collection
I’m glad to read recently that we’re to have a dedicated traffic police corps, aimed at making sure the road is made safer for all of us. But I’m confused, because I was under the impression that we already had dedicated traffic police in every division.
Ah, I SEE ... they’re simply revenue collectors? That’s all right then, it’s not their job to look after road safety, but simply to park on the safest roads in the country and aim cameras and radar guns at those over the speed limit and pull in literally millions of euros.
And so, consider the following story. A group of people hired a minibus to bring them to Dublin Airport a couple of weeks ago. Somewhere short of the Green Isle Hotel, the vehicle blew a tyre. With considerable skill, the driver brought it to a safe stop, but to avoid turning it over he could only drift it into the overtaking lane and came to rest with a wheel up on the central meridian.
His customers hopped out, most of them running to safety across to the hard shoulder. A couple remained to try and stop traffic so they could push the vehicle across out of the dangerous position it was in. A garda car comes up, blue light flashing, but busy chasing somebody for presumably a speeding offence. The gardai ignore the stranded vehicle and eventually pull in their offender some way up the road, and can be clearly seen afterwards processing their ‘collar’.
Finally, another motorist with some sense and maybe a degree of foolish bravery stopped his own car across the inside lanes and forced the following traffic to stop also, allowing the bus driver and his helpers to get their vehicle out of danger. Meantime the garda car had disappeared. The passengers make their way up to the Green Isle for some nerve-steadying G&Ts while the driver did a wheel change.
True story. I have names, date and time.
I drive a lot in other countries, have done for years. And I see how traffic is managed by police in other countries, both on their motorways and in their cities. And it will take more than a few new regulations and a ‘dedicated’ traffic police corps to have us catch up. It will take logic, common sense, training and commitment. It will take the regaining of respect for the gardai from drivers, because I can tell you they have in much measure lost that respect by being mere revenue collectors.
Rome centre at 9am on a summer Thursday morning - traffic moves.
And while they’re at it, I suggest that they hone up their traffic direction skills and get down and dirty during peak times, as they do in most European countries. Last week in Rome, though it was under the biggest security screen possible because of the World Hunger Conference, and many roads were closed, the traffic was kept moving in the city centre by the regular white-clad municipal police who can read a situation much better that can traffic lights.
I also want to see more pulling over of people who drive badly, and there’s no reason to wait until the penalty points system is in to do that. The kind of driving I regularly see on the main roads of County Kildare, all too often by so-called professional drivers behind the wheels of trucks, should be clamped down on NOW. There’s no excuse ... if the garda cars are out there looking for speeders, they can equally see bad driving. Though, granted, it won’t be as easy pickings.
Listen, I’ve always been a champion of police doing their job right on our roads, on the premise that safer roads give me a better chance to get home. But, guys, you’ve even lost my respect in recent times.
Not to mention that of a busload of stranded passengers on the Naas Road recently.
It’s a matter of priorities, isn’t it?
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