Problems on hold

The new traffic law is beyond doubt the topic which today dominates every Egyptian discussion. If one is to take media reports for a guideline, it appears that the entire matter has been reduced to traffic officers monitoring violations and penalising the violators. Unfortunately, the focus has centred solely on vehicle drivers to the exclusion of all others who contribute to the chaos on our streets, be they pedestrians, bicycle riders, donkey cart drivers, or even sidewalk peddlers.

The fact remains, however, that—despite the attempt to minimise violations—a huge gap exists between what really goes on in our streets and what we aspire for in terms of road discipline and civilised behaviour.

The campaign to penalise vehicle drivers for traffic violations has been fraught with shortcomings, and has failed to achieve wide vigilance on the roads. The number of traffic squads is severely insufficient to cover wide areas at the same time to make it impossible for a violator to get away with a violation. The matter is confined to fixed checkpoints that aim at checking licences and seatbelts—and will probably check the reflective triangle and the first aid box once they are mandated. In the process, the traffic predictably piles up, which serves to offer drivers an advance warning of the checkpoint. The drivers hasten to slow down, fasten their seatbelts, put away cell phones, and put on their best driving behaviour. Once they cross the checkpoint, everything goes back to normal.

Official declarations about mobile traffic squads or motorcycle-mounted policemen to monitor violations have not materialised. Until they do, Egyptians are sure to encounter undisciplined road behaviour that jeopardises lives, including vehicles which run in directions opposite traffic, those running in the dark with no lights, and those with children popping their heads out of windows, to cite but a few. Such incidents are sufficient to raise the ire of Egyptians—including myself—at the arrogance of traffic officials who claim they can bring about discipline to Egypt’s road through a handful of harsh penalties affixed to the traffic law, penalties they are not even able to apply to a wide portion of the violators. They appear to overlook that their appalling shortcoming at widely implementing the law makes it toothless and, instead of bringing about behavioural change where drivers are concerned, it brings about a general contempt for the law. The law is seen as a mere tool to trap them at some unlucky time or place, otherwise they go on with their business—and driving—as usual.

It will take much more than the efforts of the traffic authorities to confront the general chaos on the street. The orchestrated efforts of local government, utilities authorities, and security apparatuses are needed for a full-blown policy to bring about order. It makes no sense for some traffic official to declare it no business of his whether or not local authorities provide adequate parking lots; his only responsibility is to tow away illegally-parked vehicles. Such a declaration not only reveals the failure of the executive apparatuses to provide answers to problems, but also confirms the detrimental concept that the law is a tool for penalty not for justice.

The widespread chaos in our streets goes beyond the behaviour of drivers. Pedestrians who have no qualms about crossing the road or navigating between running vehicles at any time or place, others who litter, or bicycle riders who respect no rule whatsoever, content in their carrying no licence plates to serve to indict them for any violation, all contribute to the general chaos. And the failure of the traffic law to address such instances again confirms it as no tool of discipline but one of collecting fines.

As to the sidewalk peddlers and the incessant chase conducted by the police against them, it is a multi-faceted problem which warrants a separate article.