Traffic Police presence is lacking: Ex-officer

[Extremist]

From yahya syed

I am a Traffic Police officer turned lawyer, and I read with sadness about the fatal accident in Tampines.

During my term as a police officer attached to the Traffic Police, I was a mobile squad officer. We patrolled the expressways and major roads, particularly during peak hours, and school areas. We were also deployed to major junctions to ensure smooth traffic.

Nowadays, one hardly sees Traffic Police officers on motorbike on our expressways, major roads and junctions, even at peak hours.

I agree with Second Minister for Home Affairs S Iswaran that the presence of Traffic Police officers on our roads is necessary to deter errant drivers (“Errant drivers could face harsher penalties”; Feb 1).

This is particularly so for those driving heavy and service vehicles.

I see dump trucks “racing” on our expressways, especially in the morning along the Tampines Expressway towards Changi Airport and on the East Coast Parkway towards the city.

At times, they overtake one another, occupying two or three lanes on the ECP.

I also notice that many of the drivers of heavy and service vehicles are foreigners. I wonder how they can so easily convert their driving licences to local licences because I see them flouting our traffic signs.

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[giggity_shit]

How about those cyclists that road hog in the morning on our roads. Why TP never stop them?

 

[rambo22]

From yahya syed

I am a Traffic Police officer turned lawyer, and I read with sadness about the fatal accident in Tampines.

During my term as a police officer attached to the Traffic Police, I was a mobile squad officer. We patrolled the expressways and major roads, particularly during peak hours, and school areas. We were also deployed to major

junctions to ensure smooth traffic.

Nowadays, one hardly sees Traffic Police officers on motorbike on our expressways, major roads and junctions, even at peak hours.

I agree with Second Minister for Home Affairs S Iswaran that the presence of Traffic Police officers on our roads is necessary to deter errant drivers (“Errant drivers could face harsher penalties”; Feb 1).

This is particularly so for those driving heavy and service vehicles.

I see dump trucks “racing” on our expressways, especially in the morning along the Tampines Expressway towards Changi Airport and on the East Coast Parkway towards the city.

At times, they overtake one another, occupying two or three lanes on the ECP.

I also notice that many of the drivers of heavy and service vehicles are foreigners. I wonder how they can so easily convert their driving licences to local licences because I see them flouting our traffic signs.

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Mr Yahya, nowadays Traffic Police UPGRADED already. They can be seen daily UP THERE on top of

OVERHEAD BRIDGES AND FLYOVER even during heavy downpour.

Last time policemen were not so clever. Dunno how to cari makan.

The police now are more intelligent. They dun WORK HARD, BUT THEY WORK SMART

 

[tonychat]

Mr Yahya, nowadays Traffic Police UPGRADED already. They can be seen daily UP THERE on top of

OVERHEAD BRIDGES AND FLYOVER even during heavy downpour.

Last time policemen were not so clever. Dunno how to cari makan.

The police now are more intelligent. They dun WORK HARD, BUT THEY WORK SMART

Smart in sinkie terms means stupid.

 

[cheekenpie]

TP only good for hiding on road bends and overhead bridges. PUI

 

[rambo22]

TP only good for hiding on road bends and overhead bridges. PUI

This is what they were trained in, TAKE COVER

 

[johnny333]

Not really surprising as traffic policemen don't receive the extra eggs like some senior leaders.
Moral must be low as they see that politics is more important than merit. In such an environment they will do the minimum & less. Just like in the army

 

[Narong Wongwan]

TPs busy clearing roads and escorting and provide convoy for vvips motorcade.
This is their primary function.

 

[Kinana]

Hire more traffic police to stand at every corner?

 

[crossroads]

TP busy catching jaywalkers.

 

[Kohliantye]

It is a sad fact that today the situation differs a great deal from those early days when the TP officers on their Norton Commandos and Kawasakis "terrorised" the dangerous drivers and brought a semblance of normalcy on our roads. Even the most hard-core driver / rider raised their "white" flags.

They were a posse that was much-feared by all the road-users. Their very presence with their pocket books and pen sent fears into violators of traffic offences. Notorious roads then, like old Tampines Road were targetted by these posse and this resulted in many drivers of lorries loosing their licences. With time the roads here became safer.

Then there was a "Hell-Riders Squad" attached to Traffic Police that "terrorised" those illegal racers that tore and screeched through the Penang Road Circuit (opposite the Istana and within ear-shot of Oxley Road).

What happened to that squad? Where has their "dare-devil" riders been posted to?

From my point of view, the current sad state of affairs is due to "out-sourcing" of services, a real dirty name that has become part and parcel of Singapore. Hopefully the police hot-line will not be outsourced one day to Pinoys and Pinays?.

Now we have, LTA (formerly PWD) with their very own Road Marshalls, Aetos, Certis Cisco, SATs and others with their own "2-wheeler" (sorry some are 3-wheelers) squads. Even NTUC has Orange.

In all honesty, no one on the roads pay scant respect for these "alien" squads. The riders are by and large Malaysians who have no desire to be here in the first work, had it not been because of the "superior race first" policy practised in their Negara. These people are here only to work long hours, earn their overtime pay have it converted to ringgits and then take it back home where they later build beautiful homes and become owners of lovely cars. In working long hours, they quickly get tired and find "hiding places".

The lack of Traffic Police has truly led to the sad state of affairs on our roads. Our little citizens and those who just become adults become victims of accidents.

If we love these people so much, as can be seen by the way the Govt is promoting policies that benefit those that have more babies, then it is only right for the Govt to make sure that TP is deployed on the roads at all times to protect all road-users.

Foreign drivers should be punished and their licences immediately revoked. Good reasons to make them leave this country pronto.

But the real question is, "Who has exclusive use of the Traffic Police" today?

 

[Enforcer]

Now catching parking offences already leave it to PRC mei mei and they still shortage of manpower?

 

[ChannelG]

They are very busy attending meetings everyday with LTA to argue about policy papers on who is the lead agency to undertake enforcement in various aspects. Some are busy working on work improvement projects with polytechnics on how to improve CCTV On highways. Some are busy preparing their presentation papers. Many things to do you know.

 

[Kohliantye]

Now catching parking offences already leave it to PRC mei mei and they still shortage of manpower?

Imagine a born and bred Singaporean being "caught and punished" by a foreign enforcer in HIS OWN COUNTRY?

Where do you think is the self-esteem of we Singaporeans.

I am not saying that we should commit traffic violations, etc...

It is just that feeling one has deep down and with time this starts to make one angry for being viewed as an "impotent" in your own country of birth.

I have also been told that many officers in the NEA are Pinoys and Pinays...........

This is what I call arrogance and lack of our feelings by our highly-paid politicians.