Quote

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live.

~George Bernard Shaw

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Factors fueling traffic corruption

Am sure most people tend to blame law enforcement officers as perpetrators of traffic corruption. Well indeed this is the demand side. What about the supply side - Motorists. A lot of drivers are guilty of offering bribes for contravening traffic regulations. Imagine if the supply of bribes is curtailed. If all drivers took the responsibility of ensuring that the state of their vehicle is roadworthy and all traffic regulations adhered to, chances are that since they are on the side of the law, they will not tolerate paying a bribe... PAY FOR WHAT?
An examination of traffic corruption in Zambia that takes place between public transport drivers and law enforcement officers show that the fact that public transport drivers constantly break traffic regulations, this fuels traffic corruption. Factors that stimulate traffic corruption with regard to public transport operators include the following:
 i) The taxi and bus drivers are not often the owners of the vehicles. The drivers are given cash targets that have to be met daily. This often makes them be in a rush always to pick and drop customers and in the process a number of traffic regulations are broken due to careless driving.
ii) There is a high number of illegally (corruptly) obtained public transport drivers licences. This means that among the drivers, some of them are not qualified to drive. This further implies that these unqualified drivers do not know the traffic regulations, especially pertaining to public transport operations. 
  
iii) Related to the above, most drivers are not formally educated on the traffic regulations as the training for driving may have been conducted by anybody other than formal driving schools. 
iv) A number of public transport vehicles are often not certified road worthy, insured and not issued with the required transport operator’s permit.  This compromised the integrity of the driver and predisposes the driver to corrupt activities with traffic officers. 
v) When an offence has been committed, the owner of the vehicle is requested to go and resolve the problem. Since the owner of the vehicle and the driver want to have  the vehicle back on the road to make money, and having the vehicle impounded by traffic officers is loss of business, a lot of corruption takes place involving drivers, the owners of the vehicles and traffic officers. Most of this corruption is never reported since there is an implied satisfaction for all parties involved.  
vi)The greed for money exhibited by traffic officers make them go out to find offences even where they do not exist and extort money from often innocent motorists. 
vii) The numerous police check points in the country found at almost every main entry or exit road of a town and along highways and the frequent traffic road blocks or mounted speed traps in the inner routes of towns create opportunities for corruption. While random police checks are necessary, the regular and permanent check points have been viewed by many people as not serving any purpose other than perpetrating corruption.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Traffic Corruption - Tell Your Story

I believe most of us have had an experience of corruption in one form or the other.It may have simply been a request for a favour but with strings attached that we did not mind to do because we too benefited in one way or the other, or indeed it could have been blatant demand for a bribe from a traffic law enforcement officer because we had broken traffic regulations. If not, we may have witnessed or heard about a corrupt act that took place somewhere. Everyone involved often has a very good reason for engaging in corruption, especially so in poor countries. And the reasons range from poverty and poor economic conditions,that is, attempts to meet basic needs such as food, decent shelter, need for money for medication or for sending children to school, etc. Whatever the case might have been and whatever the reasons advanced, does the means justify the end? What is your experience or view about traffic corruption?