Traffic officers deserve applause

Mmegi Editor | Tuesday November 18, 2014 16:18

Our roads have not only become too small for the large volume of motorised transport, but the traffic light system, ever the casualty of bad and careless drivers is not working most of the time. Even when the lights are working, they are so badly synchronised that they may allow more vehicles from one side of the city and very few from another side, causing unbearable congestion.

To help the road users arrive safely and in time at their destinations, the Botswana Police Service has for sometime now posted traffic officers at congestion prone sections of busy roads such as roundabouts and traffic lights.  In sweltering heat; in biting cold; and in rainy weather, the officers continue to blow their whistles and signal for traffic to either go or stop.  How many of us ever take a minute to think about the danger these men and women place their lives in for us, is a question only individual road users can answer. 

From time to time though, crude, uncultured and unthankful elements have the neck to mock and insult these men and women.  Such elements see the traffic officers as the cause of traffic jams, and their late arrival to wherever they are going.  Brother, if you do not want to get caught up in the city traffic, get up in time and do not blame that hardworking traffic cop who is trying to make sure you do not crash into the next careless driver. And drive carefully as you drive past that officer.

Road users especially in cities such as Gaborone need to appreciate the noble work of the police. They should be seen as heroes and heroines, not villains. When we are driving past them and we have our children in our cars, let us teach the children to respect and appreciate them, and even desire to one day be traffic officers themselves. Let us respect their authority. When they err and fail to give us the opportunity to go when we believe it should be our turn, let us not honk. 

The man or woman in that blue uniform is someone’s son, someone’s daughter, uncle or father, and it could very well be your relative. You would not want your family who so selflessly contribute to everybody’s safety to be treated with contempt. So, instead of mocking these men and women, let us applaud them. We urge the Botswana Police to continue doing this beautiful work until such time that our roads allow for ease of movement  - which does not appear to be happening any time soon.