Multiple road checks by various units of the police force are taking place throughout the country. Everything is scrutinized, including drunk or drug driving and not wearing a seat belt, among others. The aim is to improve safety on our roads.
Monday morning, July 1st. Five police officers posted on both sides of the road in the Petite-Rivière region are on the lookout. They check vehicles chosen at random. At the Traffic Branch, they assure us that “operations are proceeding normally on our roads”. However, following the adoption of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill in the National Assembly on Tuesday, June 25th, whose legislative amendments aim to strengthen road safety, police operations across the country have apparently taken on an unprecedented scale.
And although the Traffic Branch insists that “the road checks are not specifically linked to the adoption of the amendments to the Road Traffic Act”, it is clear that on the ground, the police presence has increased. At the Central Barracks in Port-Louis, it is confirmed that “this weekend alone, the police on the ground arrested 64 motorists for positive alcohol tests and 7 others who tested positive for drugs”. “The elements of the Traffic Branch and the Emergency Response Service (ERS) are in action on the ground”, it is added.
The regular police (ERS, Traffic Branch and even the police officers based in the various stations across the country) conduct a series of operations across the country, and at specific points after dark, to ensure that drivers comply with the traffic laws. Road checkpoints have become more frequent and more strategically placed.
In practice, the police use these points to check various aspects of driver compliance, such as blood alcohol level, the validity of driving licenses, car insurance and the general condition of vehicles, among others. These checks are carried out randomly, but often in high traffic areas and at times when violations are more likely to occur.
“This strong police presence across the country meets two main objectives: on the one hand, to allow recruits to carry out 'street duties' and thus issue tickets, and on the other hand, to fine drivers who endanger the lives of other road users by not respecting road safety rules,” said a police source on condition of anonymity. Our informant specifies that all types of vehicles are concerned: motorcycles, cars, buses.
The same scenario is playing out in the capital, where police motorcyclists are also being called upon. Everything is scrutinized by the police: license plates, not wearing a seat belt, declaration and insurance, drunk driving, among others.
