MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

Complaint re Abuse of Metro Traffic vehicles – Saturday 8th February

By

Greetings

As the former Ward 1 Councillor and now an independent candidate in the forthcoming Ward 1 by-election, I have lodged the strongest objection to the flagrant abuse of two Metro Traffic vehicles (maybe three) on Saturday evening, 8th February.

My family were amongst the large and excited crowd of onlookers in front of Collegiate High School, watching the parade of dazzling vehicles deliver their equally dazzling couples to the Matric Dance. The parade started at about 6.15pm and continued for just over two hours.

The screams of the excited onlookers as each couple stepped onto the red carpet added to the joyful and chaotic scene, and the excitement was electric as each couple tried to outdo the others with their choice of transport. This included luxury cars, a hay-bearing truck, a tractor, a horse drawn cart and tuc-tucs.

Some even had motorcyle escorts. There were several limos, a red ferrari, some vintage cars and an old beetle. It was quite an occasion!

However, onlookers gasped in disbelief when two Metro Traffic vehicles, with blue lights flashing, finally made it to the drop-off zone, escorting what appeared to be an official VIP vehicle.

These three vehicles had waited their turn for over an hour in the long queue from Conygham Road and Fleet 9391 and Fleet 9498 had their blue lights flashing as the couple emerged from a SUV, registration FNL 124 EC, at about 7.57pm

Once offloaded, the three Metro vehicles left in convoy, with many wondering who had approved such an obvious abuse of Metro vehicles.

Accordingly, I have requested answers to the following questions:

  1. Were these two Metro Traffic officers and vehicles on approved duty, and if so, who approved this usage?
  2. What was the cost of these two vehicles standing in the queue for over 90minutes? (from about 6.45 to 8.15pm)
  3. Did the officers driving these vehicles get paid or claim overtime, and if so, on what basis?
  4. Is the SUV registration FNL 124 EC an official vehicle of the Metro? If so, who approved this usage?
  5. If the officers driving these vehicles were doing so without authorization, what action will be taken against them?

Most Metro residents complain about the lack of Traffic policing on our suburban roads and the incident at Collegiate on Saturday night highlights just how our own Metro Traffic department has lost the plot.

Incidentally, enroute to the event, I drove past the scene of the gang shooting in Humewood, where no Traffic Officers were seen.

Maybe the two (or three) vehicles mentioned above were supposed to respond? If so, how did the officers explain their “missing in action” status? Will we ever get the truth?

This incident exposes the ongoing lack of management and supervision within our Metro Traffic department, and a full investigation is requested.

Residents deserve to be given the answers to the above and please advise me of the outcome of this investigation.

Your faithfully

Stanford Slabbert
Ward 1 Candidate

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