The Traffic Police has finally dealt with one huge headache; its vehicle inspection procedures. When the Motor Vehicle Inspection Centre opened its doors some years ago, it quickly gained notoriety as a den of graft and inefficiency. Only one inspection centre served the whole country; it was a breeding ground for graft. Getting an appointment needed a lot of acrobatics or money changing hands via commission agents. The traffic department was the dark horse of the police force. But over the years the police have been trying hard to redeem its image. It decentralized the inspection, introduced mobile centres that would canvas the most remote corners of the country. Now the changes have gone even deeper; the waiting time for an appointment has been reduced from 24 hours to just one. The department has even revolutionalised its working methods by extending operating hours to midnight. Our police are known for being a stickler to rules and have to impose very stiff penalties to maintain order on our roads. But just as it has done with the new reforms on vehicle inspections, it should always listen to people and plug loopholes. In countries where they take Driving Under the Influence (DUI) seriously, breathalyzers are not enough to attract penalties. They are a basis for instigating legal procedures that need evidence. A culprit can legally refuse to pay the fines the next day as there is no evidence, the alcohol levels in the blood has reduced. DUI violators need to be taken to the nearest health centre to take blood samples as soon as possible for evidence that will stand in court. Otherwise depending only on the previous night’s readings of a breathalyzer to convict someone is treading on a thin legal line. The same can be said for speeding with no hard radar or sped gun evidence. This country has gone hi-tech and the police need to keep up as there is no shortage of technology.
