Thursday, September 15, 2011
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Taxi drivers locked up for the night
August 31 2011 at 04:24pm
By BRONWYNNE JOOSTE and SIBUSISO NKOMO
JP Smith, the mayoral committee member for safety and security, talks to traffic officials during the execution of warrants of arrest for traffic offences in the Durbanville area last night. Photo: Ayanda Ndamane
More than 20 taxi drivers, with more than 100 outstanding warrants between them, spent a night in the police cells after a municipal magistrate refused to hear their cases.
And at least 27 warrants were executed by the city traffic department in Durbanville last night as part of Operation Reclaim.
Following an Operation Reclaim roadblock in Bellville yesterday, traffic services arrested 28 taxi drivers, whose 105 outstanding warrants involved just over R175 000.
In total, 199 outstanding warrants were detected, but while the rest of the drivers were able to pay their debt, the 28 could not. They were taken to Parow Municipal Court.
However, the magistrate refused to hear the cases. The city said the courts had asked for warnings but these were not always possible.
Eventually, four of the drivers paid R5 900 to clear their warrants. But the remaining 24 were detained at three police stations and were due to appear in the municipal court today.
Hishaam Mohamed, the regional head of the Department of Justice, said traffic officers needed to inform the courts that they were bringing people before them.
JP Smith, the mayoral committee member for safety and security, said this was not the first time offenders had been turned away at the court. He said a few weeks ago, 11 motorists were nabbed and the magistrate refused to hear the case, sending the errant motorists away with warnings to appear later.
Smith said Parow Municipal Court was “symptomatic” of under-resourced courts. “Courts are struggling to cope and this is severely curtailing operations.”
Smith said the city had set aside R4 million this year to assist municipal and community courts. He also serves on the provincial courts steering committee and said it had agreed to gradually start expanding courts’ capacity.
He said the municipal court had asked traffic services to let them know by 11am if they were bringing offenders in. This was then changed to 9am, but the earlier time slot was not always possible because of the nature of operations
Smith said it was unfortunate that the offenders would have to spend a night in custody.
“We don’t people to sit in cells overnight, we want people to move on with their lives,” he said .
Smith said the city had regular meetings with the provincial department of justice. The “under-resourcing” of courts had been discussed, and a memorandum of understanding had been signed about working together to increase capacity.
During the execution of warrants last night, the Cape Argus accompanied traffic officers to the home of a man who had not paid his fine since 2009.
He was given the option of paying immediately or spending the night in jail. He opted to pay.
Smith said the city wanted to make the public aware that the offences eventually do catch up with people.
If a person had three or more fines outstanding and a warrant of arrest had been issued, that person would be tracked down and arrested.
In other cases where a person had only one outstanding fine, they would be visited at home, warned and asked to sign a receipt of notice.
If a person had not paid their fine or failed to appear in court, they would have to pay their fine plus a contempt of court fine, which doubles the fine amount.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
City’s Traffic Police–July 1932
| Gallows Hill Archives: 1932 |
Cape Times 29 July 1932
City’s Traffic Police
Six More Inspectors Appointed
Change-Over of Control
The appointment of six traffic inspectors by the City Council, permission for which was granted at last night’s Council meeting, constitutes the first big step towards the establishment of municipal police.
The Traffic Department already possessed 12 officials who are being trained, apart from their ordinary duties, to act as special traffic constables.
With the acquisition of six new inspectors and a reserve of ex-policemen, a valuable force is being gathered to organise and control city traffic.
Although no special uniform is being provided, each man will wear a white coat. A red armlet with the letters “C.C.C. Traffic” work in black, will serve for identification.
The six new inspectors will be sworn in within a few days.
Sports Ground Traffic
The establishment of a special force of municipal traffic police has been rendered necessary by the withdrawal of a certain percentage of the ordinary police from traffic duty. Other withdrawals will take place towards the end of the year.
Notification was received recently by the Traffic Control Committee that the Deputy Commissioner of Police was withdrawing the usual quota of police from duty at the Newlands and Hartleyvale sports grounds.
On the last two Saturdays, traffic control at these places has been carried out successfully by municipal inspectors.
Tomorrow at Newlands and on Monday at Hartleyvale a similar squad will control the traffic in place of the ordinary uniformed police.
Nine traffic inspectors will be posted at each place, a number of the men being used on point duty and the others on parking guidance.
Nine traffic inspectors will be posted at each place, a number of the men being used on point duty and the others on parking guidance.
Automatic light signals have been used at certain points in the city area from which the police have been withdrawn, but wherever necessary the new municipal police will be detailed for point duty.
In cases where it may be found impossible for the municipal police to cope with rush traffic, the Traffic Superintendent will be empowered to call upon the police reserve a body of ex-policemen who have been handed together for any emergency which may arise.
No Police to perform Traffic duties after June 1932
| Gallows Hill Archives: 1932 |
Cape Argus 6 February 1932
City to take over full control
Fines to be kept by the Council
It is reported authoritatively in political circles that from June 1 with the exception of certain boroughs in Natal with which the Government has special contracts, all traffic duties will be carried out by the municipalities themselves. The police now engaged on traffic duties will revert to ordinary police duties from that date.
It is also stated that all fines imposed for traffic offences will be handed over to the municipalities after the change becomes effective.
The responsibility in future will be put on the local authorities to resolve systems of traffic control by means of traffic police and robots which will ensure the safety of the public. Traffic police may be obtained through the Police Reserve which is to be created or men can be trained by the police for this special duty. Traffic police will be enrolled as special constables and will be vested with authority as such.
It is thought that a force of 20 traffic police will be sufficient for all the requirements of Cape Town.
Mr. Gradner’s Protest
While admitting that the municipality would have to accept the inevitable, Mr. L. Gradner, chairman of the Finance Committee, protested today that the municipality would not have sufficient time to put its house in order if all traffic police were removed on June 1.
Outlining the negotiations which have been taking place between the Government and the City Council, Mr. Gradner said that when a deputation from the Council met Mr. Pirow at Pretoria in November, the deputation drew attention to the Act of 1902, by which the Government undertook control of traffic in return for the fines. Up to 1902 the municipality kept the fines.
“We wanted to adhere to the arrangement of 1902,” said Mr. Gradner, “but the Minister thought otherwise. We had to accept the inevitable. But when he spoke of removing traffic police we suggested that we might take the fines, pointing out that it was an extreme hardship for us. If the Government insisted on removing the police, the least we could ask for was the fines.”
“But at that discussion he was hardly inclined to do so.”
Questioned about the effect of the change on municipal finances, Mr. Gradner said that if the manual system of control was continued with generally it would affect the city’s budget greatly. But if robots were installed, he did not think there would be great difficulty in making the budget meet now that the city was to have the benefit of the fines.
Insufficient Time
“But I want to say that it is unfair to remove the traffic police before the end of the year. The understanding was that they would be kept on until the end of the year,” said Mr. Gradner.
“It is not sufficient time for us, seeing that we are to get notice of the change only now. We will have to put our house in order.”
“We will be able to put up robots in outlying areas, but as regards the central areas, such as Adderley Street, we will require more investigation before we change over to any other system.”
“We will certainly have liked to see the various systems in operation till the…
Why so many Taxi accidents?
front left wheel comes adrift
wheel only had one wheel nut and the other wheels of the taxi also had missing wheel nuts.
fixing the wheel with pieces of wood
…and he is on his way in the Bellville Saturday morning traffic
White Employees Ask for Municipal Job Apartheid
| Gallows Hill Archives: 1957 |
Cape Argus 01 November 1957
The Cape Town Municipal Employees Association, which represents European employees, has told the Industrial Tribunal that it wants the municipal fire-brigade and the ambulance services to remain “White”.
It also says that relations between European and Coloured traffic constables could hardly be described as harmonious.
In a memorandum submitted to the tribunal the association say: “The fire-brigade and ambulance services are composed entirely of European and have always been regarded as the exclusive employment preserve of European.
In spite of protests, the council had employed Coloured traffic constables and since then they had been gradually integrated into posts which up to the stage had been held only by Europeans.
In 1946 there were 62 European and seven Coloured constables. In 1955, 104 European and 14 Coloured constables and in 1957, 97 European and 17 Coloured constables.
The Memorandum continues: “The employment of non-European traffic constables, it is submitted, led to the lowering of the status of the post. The post is no longer regarded as being attractive due to the force being “mixed”. Europeans are reluctant to offer themselves for engagement.
Public Ignomy
It says that in 1946, 40 European members of the traffic force protested against the “public ignomy” of serving side by side on equal terms with non-Europeans.
In 1952 European members asked the association to ask the City Council to place non-European members on a separate footing and in 1955 the European members submitted a petition to the Chief Traffic Officer protesting against discrimination, as only Europeans could be employed on certain duties such as escorting V.I.P.s.
On September 17, 65 European traffic constables protested to the association at being compelled to take part in an official public parade with non-Europeans.
The association says: “An adequate supply of suitable, qualified Europeans exists to meet the requirements of the fire brigade and ambulance services. The employment field in these services has generally and traditionally been confined to Europeans and therefore, in our view, could remain so.
Gallows Hill Archives: 1926
| Cape Argus May 1926 |
Ban on Ten Minutes Parking
To be used sparingly by the Traffic Department
Mr. Joseph Kerr’s Assurance
Automobile Association and a “Dangerous Weapon”
The ten-minute parking in “No Parking” areas in the city will be abolished only in very congested street. This assurance was give by Mr. Joseph Kerr, Cape Town’s Traffic Superintendent, in an interview with the representative of The Argus today.
Tradesmen up in arms
At the sitting of the Provincial Council yesterday, the first reading was passed of an amendment which, if brought into force in its entirety, will virtually abolish the ten-minute parking in the whole Peninsula.
Section 55, sub-section 3, of the new Motor Ordinance lays down that vehicles may park for ten minutes in prohibited areas. The amendment now before the Provincial Council provides for “the prohibition of the stopping and standing of motor vehicles in any public road or portion thereof.” The amendment repeals sub-section 3.
“The amendment is not as bad as it looks,” said Mr. Kerr. “First let me say that the work ‘park’ should never have been used in sub-section 3. For some unaccountable reason, someone substituted this word for… the amendment will become a pinprick regulation and just another easy source of revenue to the Traffic Department.
Easy Revenue
“One has only to look out of any office window in St. Georges Street to see what an easy source of revenue total prohibition would be. There is a constable I see very often who stands on the pavement, waits for a car to park and, after timing it for ten minutes, ties a tag on it.”
“My own opinion, and that of the Automobile Association, is that congested areas in the city could be overcome more easily by making one-way streets that by prohibiting parking altogether.”
An indication that the Cape Town public will not stand for any sweeping interference with its parking privileges was seen when the comments of leading business men were … of motor vehicles in any public road or portion thereof.” The amendment repeals sub-section 3.
“The amendment is not as bad as it looks,” said Mr. Kerr. “First let me say that the word ‘park’ should never have been used in sub-section 3. For some unaccountable reason, someone substituted this word for ‘stand’ when the ordinance was drawn up and the sub-section became law without anyone noticing this slip. It will be seen that the amendment states ‘stop or stand.’
Personal Guarantee
“I give my personal guarantee that this power to prohibit ten-minute parking will be used very carefully by the Traffic Department. It is proposed to stop all parking in such places as Spin Street, the portion of Darling Street near Adderley Street and St. Georges Street which is covered by the Sea Point bus route.
“In these places I have mentioned it needs but one car to be parked to upset the whole flow of traffic.”
“I would like to point out that the ten-minute parking or standing as it should be called was introduced to assist shops in off-loading, and not to allow private cars to stand at the pavement while the drivers and passengers carry out their shopping”
“I recommended a long time ago to both the City Council and Provincial Council that parking should be totally prohibited in certain sections of the city.”
A.A. View
Commenting on Mr. Kerr’s statement, Mr. W. Rawson, chairman of the Automobile Association, pointed out that under the by-laws framed under the provisions of the old Motor Ordinance parking is allowed for ten minutes to any motor car or vehicle in areas specified in the schedules of the by-laws as “No Parking” areas.
“I have always stated that Cape Town has no traffic problem worth solving,” said Mr. Rawson, “and I feel that this new amendment affecting the ten-minute parking is a very dangerous weapon to be held against Cape Town motorists.
“I sincerely trust that only a few areas in the city are made ‘Parking Totally Prohibited’ or otherwise… overcome more easily by making one-way streets that by prohibiting parking altogether.”
And indication that the Cape Town public will not stand for any sweeping interference with its parking privileges was seen when the comments of leading business men were sought.
“A Row”
“Let the Traffic Department try and prohibit all parking outside my store and see what a row I shall raise,” said the manager of a leading store. “Not counting my customers I have about 30 vans a day pulling up with supplies and taking away orders. No, in face of the high rates Cape Town stores have to pay. I can assure you that shops and stores will stand for no interferences of the parking in the streets adjoining their premises.”
Friday, September 9, 2011
Men and Motor Cycles of Gallows Hill reproduced with kind permission of Mrs Mendel
| Gallows Hill Archives: 1994 |
Men and Motorcycles of Gallows Hill
What did we see in our rear-window mirrors during the last sixty years that possibly made us tighten the grip on our steering wheels, and possibly made us perspire just that little bit more? Quite likely the men and motorcycles of Cape Town Traffic Department.
It all started way back in 1926, the genesis of Cape Town’s Traffic Department. In those years it was a municipal department with a staff of three, accommodated in a tiny office building, with a single inspection pit. The Department grew and seven years later developed into Cape Town’s Traffic Control Department. A “big leap” was taken in 1933 when a large new building was erected, which was to be the Department’s Headquarters. This building still stands today, almost unchanged and in it’s original form, adjacent to Ebenezer Road in Green Point. Also known as “Gallows Hill”, this being the road of directly opposite the Department (somewhat appropriate?). Apart from a larger office staff, the Force had expanded to thirty Constable Inspectors in 1933. This formed the nucleus of the force, which gradually took over the entire regulation of traffic within the limits of the Cape Town Municipality. Previously this had been controlled and manned by the South African Police. The issuing of Driving Licences, which was up to that time in the hands of Provincially appointed Examiners, was transferred to six officers of the newly formed Traffic Control Department. It was thus in 1933 that traffic control began to become meaningful in the true sense of the word for Cape Town’s motorists.
The advantage of using motorcycles was realised, and it was also in that year that the mounted motorcycle patrol was begun, with the purchases of three “Colonial Model” 1000 c.c. B.S.A.V. twin motorcycles with sidecars. They were ridden by men in khaki uniform with caps or, on occasions, pith helmets. Mounted on these British behemoths, the pairs (one man acting as a witness), they patrolled a town whose traffic certainly moved at a much more leisurely pace, compared to the present day maëlstrom of vehicles on the city’s roads. Today’s vehicles, many of which seem to be continuously jockeying for position, often flaunt basic traffic laws and drive too dangerously. According to statistics, it appears that innumerable accidents are cause primarily through selfishness and impatience. Many a time a sort of motor-sized “Russian Roulette” situation seems to exist, which the Traffic Department tries its best to control. Not that accidents did not occur in those far away years. Even then there were numerous cases of drunken driving reported in our daily newspapers, along with speeding and parking offences as well as other traffic misdemeanours.
But let us look back on the motorcycles and their riders that have helped in no small measure to control the traffic in Cape Town over the last six decades. Following the initial purchase of the three B.S.A.’s with sidecars, five Harley-Davidsons, also with sidecars, were added to the fleet in 1936. By 1939 the first four solo Harley-Davidsons of 1000 c.c.’s were acquired by the Department. These new machines were used mainly for patrol work and for pursuit in cases of serious speeding. They were easier to handle at high speeds and were much more suitable in busy areas than the combination machines (which were phased out in that year). According to an advert of the then agents, Robb Motors, they were claimed to be able to exceed 150 k.p.h.? A somewhat optimistic claim, which I suppose nevertheless had the desired effect on motorists, although in fact very few cars in those years could equal either the top speed or the acceleration of a Harley-Davidson.
In September of that year World War 2 broke out and many of Cape Town’s motorcyclists were eager to enrol in the newly formed Dispatch Riding Corps. This included members of Cape Town’s Traffic Department, quite a few of whom joined up and saw service in East Africa, Madagascar, North Africa and Italy. They acquitted themselves very well in all the combat areas, most of them returning after the War (with their well-earned decorations) to the Traffic Department. There they continued to ride Harley-Davidsons in civilian life.
With World War 2 ending in September of 1945, the Traffic Department purchased a further twenty 1000 c.c. solo Harley-Davidsons from the Union Defence Force, surplus unused war stock. (The larger 1200 c.c. Harleys that were made especially for the Defence Force, were all fitted with sidecars and therefore not suitable). There were now sixty officers in the Traffic Department, with a total of six Harley-Davidsons in use. In short, Harleys were ridden exclusively until the fifties, when twenty British Ariels were purchased by the Department to augment their fleet. Although fairly reliable, their hand clutches were weak and not suitable for procession riding; as a result they were not re-ordered in future. The comfort and reliability of the Harleys at that time was far superior. Their price however, was even then, as now, much higher than any other motorcycle.
In 1956 a dozen British B.S.A. 650 c.c. “Golden Flash” motorcycles were added to the fleet. These proved dependable, comparatively light and were easy to ride, resulting in more B.S.A.’s being ordered from time to time in the sixties. But by the latter half of the sixties their quality had dropped considerably, and Harleys were again ordered in some numbers. Also in the sixties, 700 c.c. Royal Enfields were acquired on a trial basis. These unfortunately proved both mechanically troublesome and bad handling machines. As a point of interest, they were the first motorcycles to be equipped with radios. Bulky units, not at all like today’s sophisticated long-distance equipment, but these radios were nevertheless a great aid towards improved traffic control. Safety helmets were first evaluated and later accepted by the Department in the mid-fifties, and became law for all motorcyclists some years later.
These days the training of new recruits is very comprehensive. There is now a well-organised Traffic Department school (started in 1958) which teaches a five-month course in all aspects of Traffic Control, including a one-week intensive course in motorcycle riding. In addition there is a three-year traffic officer’s correspondence course available for those men who want to study further. A far cry from the thirties and forties, when a positive reply to the question “have you got a motorcycle licence?” was an important entrance qualification to the Force! Once accepted, the new recruit would ride with an experienced motorcyclist for a few weeks, before “qualifying”. In fact, often, the sooner the novice qualified the better, in the eyes of his mentor, who at times regarded them as a nuisance, interfering with their other duties.
By all accounts many chases took place in those early days. The Harleys were, as mentioned, purportedly faster than nearly all the cars on the road at that time; the maximum speed of most of the American cars before the sixties being in the region of 125 k.p.h. What’s more, the Harleys had a device for locking the speedometer needle on passing an erring motorist, which would provide sufficient proof of the vehicle’s speed at the time. This was, I suppose, more exciting and adventurous than today’s trapping device, not to mention inanimate hidden cameras, but then not nearly as accurate.
Moving to the seventies, the Department began using Japanese motorcycles. This country’s motorcycles were already then beginning to make a large impact on the world’s motorcycle markets. Sophisticated, technically very advanced, as well as being most reliable, they were taking over from the European manufacturers. Britain’s death knell had already been sounded in the middle of the sixties, partly on account of the superior and advanced offerings of the Japanese manufacturers. Because of this and her added management problems, Britain was to end the manufacture of her many world-famous marques by the early seventies, some, such as Ariel, Velocette, Matchless and A.J.S. already having been phased out in the letter half of 1960. The Traffic Department did however still order and use a few of the last 750 c.c. Norton’s manufactured, in the seventies. These were to prove highly unsatisfactory and unreliable and as a result had a short innings. It seemed also that our high summer temperatures did not “agree” with them. Britain’s days of manufacturing bikes for the “Colonies” was by now something very much of the past.
At various times from then onwards, Honda 305 c.c.’s and later 750 c.c.’s machines were purchased. Yamaha 650 c.c.’s were also tried, but their handling was suspect. Again the Honda New Series ‘K’ 750 c.c.’s were ordered in the eighties. They were tough and well liked. Ten new BMW (800 c.c.’s) were also bought in the late eighties and are presently still in use. Not very spirited mounts, these somewhat underpowered bikes. Later in 1980 a large number of 750 c.c. Suzuki’s were added to the fleet. Six new Harley-Davidsons had been ordered for the last time in 1975 and these were in use until the early eighties, by which time new ones had completely out-priced themselves for any prospective future orders. The unfavourable Dollar/Rand exchange rate also contributed to putting paid to their use by the Force. Certainly most officers preferred the Harley by far; “clutches that could withstand monumental abuse, and if they had to spend so many hours in the saddle each day, there was only one motorcycle that came out tops for them”, they said. Just hearing their exhaust not (that made Milwaukee famous), spoke volumes on the road. Then there was the impact of these majestic Harleys pulling up next to the driver’s window, an awesome experience that undoubtedly put erring motorists very much on the defensive. The motorcycle of motorcycles was in itself regarded as a symbol of law and order on our roads, as I suppose it still is, wherever else they are in use in the world today.
Presently the Department owns 146 Suzuki 750 c.c.’s, manned by 190 patrolmen. They are now augmenting their fleet by taking delivery of 65 new Kawasaki “Zephyr” 750 c.c.’s. this is probably the largest motorcycle order given by the Department to date. With the ten B.M.W.’s, this will add up to a motorcycle fleet of 223 units. Indeed a far cry from the three B.S.A.’s that heralded the beginning of the Traffic Force some six decades ago. These newly acquired Kawasaki’s already having a reputation for speed and durability with their “bullet-proof” engines. Better watch out for these sleek new blue and whit Nipponese Machines on our roads.
On a farewell not apropos the Traffic Department at Gallows Hill, which as the name implies, was in bygone years a place of execution for those that had received the ultimate sentence. In the thirties, shortly after the Department started operating, a condemned man was asked to name his last wish: “A Harley-Davidson”, came his hopeful reply! But by then “Gallows Hill had obviously acquired a different connotation.
I wish to extend my sincere thanks to Senior Inspector Chris Bauermeester, whose kind assistance has helped this article to materialize. My thanks also to Seniors Jan Minnie, Harry Attwood, and “Boet” Coetzee, all now retired from the Department.
I feel that the proud and colourful record held by the motorcyclists of the Traffic Department will surely continue to be upheld in future years. They, together with their “mounts”, have shown us the way for almost 60 years. Maybe next time when you see one of them in your rear-view mirror (and are not feeling too apprehensive), you will give him a thought, he is only doing his duty and he is not being paid to only ride a motorcycle: enforcing laws to keep traffic running smoothly and safely is a must. Perhaps also give a thought to their impressive history, that has helped to mould Cape Town’s Traffic Force over the years.
© Egon Mendel 1994
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