Questions to Richard Meyer at the Knysna Traffic Department
These are questions to the Knysna Traffic and Law Enforcement department as headed by Richard Meyer who is the Manager for Disaster Management, Social Services & Traffic (he can be reached on 044 302 6426):
- What is being done so as to educate Knysna drivers as to the new fines?
- Will tripling fines proportionately reduce road deaths by 300%?
- What is the breakdown of traffic offences?
- Are most for speeding?
- Is stopping speeding about prevention or punishment i.e. have local traffic officers ordered to be as visible as possible?
- If there’s an increase in the monies raised through fines, how will it be utilised?
- How many of the vehicles driven without a licence or found to be unroadworthy enough to get a fine are in fact taken off the road immediately?
- Are their drug tests for taxi drivers? If so, what has happened? If not, why not?
- How many traffic officers are there?
- How many are deployed on day shift at one time?
- How many are deployed at rush hour, morning, evening and Friday afternoons – asked because there seems to be no increase in visibility.
- Why aren’t the taverns being policed the most? It seems to be a free-for-all on the roads beside them, by both pedestrians and drivers.
- How many people died or were injured due to road accidents in 2013/2014?
- How many were pedestrians?
- How many accidents were a result of alcohol?
- What preventive actions does the traffic department have in place to stop alcohol abuse?
- Why are local traffic officers committing traffic offences instead of setting an example? They are regularly seen to cross solid lines or park incorrectly?
- Is their a quota system? Can that be proven by comparing the records of all Knysna’s traffic officers over a period of 3 months?
- What is the health standard requirement for an officer?
- What has been done to ensure this?
- When was the last “health check”?
- How are officers receiving reinforcement training as to how to handle the public courteously and with respect?
- How many fines were issued in 2013/2014 versus how many paid?
- How many of the vehicles, as a percentage of the total, carried CX licence plates?
- Why did the Knysna Municipality not buy the new Nissan Jukes from the lowest tenderer, costing the taxpayer an approximate extra R15 000 per vehicle?
If any readers have further questions, please add them in the comment section below.
Your opinions are welcomed too.
Don’t vote on the poll until you’ve finished as you will be redirected from this page after voting.
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There is a traffic officer riding a high power motorcycle in town. Is he equipped to handle this vehicle?
No idea. Take down the make of bike down and description of rider and send your question to the Municipality. If they don’t respond after two weeks, forward me the email.
When will the innumerable unroadworthy vehicles be removed from the roads immediately after the fine has been issued?
This is one of the problems but i must say that the state of Knysna’s taxis is far better than what i used to experience in the big city.
Why is it that the fines for unroadworthy vehicles (our own cars etc) and those for unroadworthy buses or mini buses (that charge to transport passengers) are the same amount?
Agreed, public transport’s should be higher but at least speeding fines have been raised for them.
You’ll never get an answer on the revenue stream from fines. But as sure as eggs, if they’re raising the fines, they’ll also be increasing the presence of cameras, and those Traffic Department rats will still be stopping and fining for the most trivial of traffic infringements. Perhaps you could add to your list of questions why it is that police vehicles are taken home at night (in effect used as taxis). In the culture I come from, this is corrupt use of a police asset. The police should catch a minibus unless they have personal transport. Police vehicles should remain under lock and key at the station at night, thereby greatly reducing running costs, wear and tear etc.
Your point is very valid and it’s ridiculous that i forgot it. I’ve seen cops in civies driving them to work in the morning.
In June, R951 438 was raised from fines.
If there was one person per issue, chasing it, of course we’d have more chance at answers.
Why are you taking the Jukes to Nissan to be washed at R500 per car?
Seriously? Send me proof please.
Why I think that because our “cops” tend to hide behind a bush etc is because they have been instructed to do so in order to get as much cash in as possible instead of really trying to get drivers to obey the laws.
Example: A non Knysna driver gets a fine in the post some 4 weeks after he has returned to his home town for exceeding the speed limit. I bet he was not even aware that he exceeded the limit at the time of the infraction. So what good does the fine do? Nothing. Had he been pulled over on the spot, he would know that he was in the wrong.
I believe that by flashing oncoming traffic that there is a “Speed check” ahead, I am slowing down speedsters for about 5 kms and therefore more efficient that a mobile camera behind a bush.
They should put more “fixed cameras” up as in Wilderness rather.
Another point. Id like to know how many accidents have occurred in the past at the chosen spots where these mobile cameras are set up. The sections of road do not seem to be very dangerous to me. Just easy meat because it’s a 60km or 80kmph section.
All valid points except for Wilderness which falls under George. Regularity definitely plays a part in memory retention e.g. speed limit changes after 5 years and you simply don’t see it. It’s a known psychological condition. Traffic cops should not hide – nothing to do with prevention!
Conditioning psychology.
Pedestrians seem to think they have the right of way irrespective. They cross the road as they want to, cars have to stop to avoid them. Education and then enforcement is the way to go!
Knysna is a massive jaywalking town so it’s fascinating that there sober people rarely get hit. Whereas drunken ones are a big part of road deaths. Admittedly, i jaywalk. I like to think that i’m better than those who deliberately hold up the traffic as if to say, “F.U..”
Did you know that you cannot fit a dog into the back of the new Nissan Jukes. If a dog is found running on the N2, law enforcement can’t do anything.
No i didn’t. Handy knowledge. Thanks. PS: Doubt it can fit a pig or cow either:)