Helen wants more speeding cameras !

[daveza]

Another Cape Talk news feature:

Helen Zille calls for more speeding camera's 8/5/2008 10:05:43 AM
Cape Town Mayor, Helen Zille, says the traffic authorities are looking into setting up more speeding cameras across the city.

Arrive Alive says almost half of all serious road accidents in South Africa are caused by young, inexperienced motorists.

The organisation has also warned drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 are 4 times more likely to drive recklessly.

Actually Helen, no we don't need more speed cameras ( speeding cameras ?!).

We need more traffic cops in cars, on bikes, pulling over vehicles driven recklessly, vehicles with broken lights, bare tyres etc.

If you must have more cameras, make no financial penalty - just apply the required demerits.

Watch the strip in Paarden Eiland - scream along at 120, then brake for the camera, then back to 120.

What exactly do those cameras achieve.

 

[Moederloos]

I agree with her.
But they need to be all over and many more mobile ones too.

Free up our emergency services a bit to tackle real crime.

 

[CaTcH21]

For the taxi's ?

 

[daveza]

Of course !

Not.

 

[CaTcH21]

Of course !

Not.

awww.....shucks !

 

[stoke]

Yup, I'm all for less people hiding behind bushes holding cameras when they could be out working.
More camera's instead of bush stalkers.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Yup, I'm all for less people hiding behind bushes holding cameras when they could be out working.
More camera's instead of bush stalkers.

Agreed Nothing quite as eery as seeing a lone cop car hiding behind bushes either.

I'm all for the cameras - the more idiots getting fined for breaking the law, the better. Might actually work towards increasing the wages of some police officers and give them an incentive to do more, be better and have more people join the force.

Improving a country starts with improving the civil servants - the people who protect us. Well, the innocent us

 

[daveza]

Seems everyone is happy with the cash cow camera system.

Yet nobody has agreed that they have any effect on the road accident rate.

 

[Dange--Russ]

I think camera's are a load. The people who dont care about the corrupt traffic department (like myself) either slow down and speed off or just go straight through. I dont pay fines. Couldn't be bothered with impolite porkers and useless clerks at payment centres. A traffic whore once even called my girl friend a white bitch and told her she was not going to help her, which I would understand had she said anything more than "can you help me please" .

The whole system is just a bully tactic to get those who actually try to live the right way to cough up more cash. I am still to see a taxi drive properly. Will camera's sort them out??? no. and they are something people have been on about for years. why not curb that problem first and then maybe people wouldn't be so pissed off and speed.

Driving is a really tense experience these days.

 

[runswithscissors]

Seems everyone is happy with the cash cow camera system.

Indeed. So much so, that nobody has even bothered to vandalize them with cans of spray paint.

 

[runswithscissors]

Another Cape Talk news feature:



We need more traffic cops in cars, on bikes, pulling over vehicles driven recklessly, vehicles with broken lights, bare tyres etc.

.

The traffic police just took delivery of 28 brand spanking new 1200 cc Kawasaki motorcycles. The only problem is that the riders are all near retirement age.

 

[kevinswan007]

The traffic police just took delivery of 28 brand spanking new 1200 cc Kawasaki motorcycles. The only problem is that the riders are all near retirement age.

ill take one!

 

[PeterCH]

Another Cape Talk news feature:



Actually Helen, no we don't need more speed cameras ( speeding cameras ?!).

We need more traffic cops in cars, on bikes, pulling over vehicles driven recklessly, vehicles with broken lights, bare tyres etc.

If you must have more cameras, make no financial penalty - just apply the required demerits.

Watch the strip in Paarden Eiland - scream along at 120, then brake for the camera, then back to 120.

What exactly do those cameras achieve.

No. We need to give licences to people who know how to drive. There should
be more stringent testing done and IMO people under 21 should not
get driver's licences unless they can prove these are essential for them
or a provisional licence should be granted, if the young driver speeds more
than 3 times or drives once recklessly his licence should be
revoked till he is 21.

Sadly I think cameras are just a way of making more money for
the City of Cape Town (to waste on useless projects). It really is ALL ABOUT
the MONEY. If they cared about driving they would tighten on car
and driver licencing.

 

[PeterCH]

A traffic whore once even called my girl friend a white bitch and told her she was not going to help her, which I would understand had she said anything more than "can you help me please" .

I think you should have reported the racist officer. Chances are this
was not an isolated incident and had multiple reports of racism and abuse
of power come into the relevant police department, the woman
would no doubt had been fired or sent for counseling till she changed
her ways.

 

[hj2k_x]

Yup, I'm all for less people hiding behind bushes holding cameras when they could be out working.
More camera's instead of bush stalkers.

I agree.

Even if it means that people speed and then only slow down for the camera, that is better than nothing.

People fly down Buitengracht at way over 80km/h. We need some cameras here asap.

 

[EtienneK]

While I am also against traffic cameras, what other, better way is there to regulate that people are following the laws?

If there were no cameras, I know I would be the first one cruising home at 150 km/h every day from work.

 

[Hogrod]

Speed cameras should only be put in proven high accident locations and painted bright yellow. Any other location is for the purpose of making money rather than public safety.

Perhaps Zille should think about improving the basic standards of roads. I'm tired of sitting at the same old broken robot every Tuesday and Wednesday. They fix it, and it breaks again, every bloody week. This inconveniences thousands of people each morning, my journey takes two hours instead of one. Not one cop in sight to help.

Perhaps reducing driver stress and rage will reduce accidents and speeding?

 

[noxibox]

Cameras will only be erected in high profit areas. This has nothing to do with safety.

 

[Turtle]

Seems everyone is happy with the cash cow camera system.

"cash cow system"? But the only people who have to pay anything, are those who speed in the first place, you're not forced to pay! If you don't want to pay, don't speed (???)

Either you're for speed limits, or you're not. If you're for them, you must be for their enforcement. Logically, if you're against speed limit enforcement, it must then mean you're against speed limits. Are you saying we should rather do away with speed limits entirely? Do you honestly think that doing away with speed limits entirely, in South Africa, will not affect the accident rate? (Well, it might lower the accident rate because half the people will become too terrified to even go on the roads anymore, lol.)

 

[Skinner]

Typical South African mentality, complaining about Speed Cameras instead of just keeping to the speed limits. Helen has an European mindset, which works brilliantly in Europe. Of course more than that are required in Africa but at least this is a start.

Keep to the speed limit and you will have no problem with the speed cameras.