Members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch at the launch of the new division held at Harman Barracks in St Andrew recently. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

We had hoped that the successful management of traffic in the Corporate Area on September 3, the start of the new academic year, would have lasted and indeed become the norm. However, the system started to crumble by the end of last week, and at the start of this week, the streets in several sections of the capital city were centres of chaos, confusion, and indiscipline.

Motorists and commuters have related stories of spending three hours and more in traffic, particularly in the morning, as alternative routes established to bypass road work, especially in Portia Simpson Miller Square, were clogged.

There were numerous reports of motorists, particularly the usually undisciplined taxi and minibus drivers, making the situation worse by using sidewalks to try to get around the congestion.

The upshot was lost man hours, as people got to work late, and many students were late for school.

In all of this, the police were heard complaining about the undisciplined behaviour of motorists. However, we had thought that the mandate of the constabulary’s newly launched Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch (PSTEB) was to maintain order in public spaces.

The question therefore is where were the cops assigned to this branch on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning this week?

The formation of the PSTEB is a good move and is in keeping with views we have repeatedly expressed in this space about the value of maintaining order.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/enforce-traffic-laws-and-positive-change-will-come_144136