[Article] Traffic Watch RIP

mike65

from the sunday times

A TRAFFIC WATCH hotline launched with much fanfare by gardai last year has quietly been dropped.

Even as police appeal to the public to report cases of suspected drink driving over the bank holiday weekend, a service to allow motorists to alert gardai to dangerous driving has effectively been shut down.


Traffic Watch was designed to send calls from concerned motorists into designated call centres. But the so-called hotline is now directed to Garda stations. “It has become just another phone in the station,” one garda admitted last week.

The Traffic Watch hotline, however, is usually engaged and there is no facility to leave a message. Instead, callers are asked to phone back later.

“There is only one reason why it can be under review so soon after implementation and that is it’s probably not working,” says Niall Doyle of the Irish Insurance Federation.

During a two-year pilot of the hotline in Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, some 3,800 calls were received from members of the public. Only 25% of these complaints resulted in formal cautions for dangerous drivers and there were only 30 prosecutions.

Traffic Watch was rolled out nationwide in February 2004. Soon afterwards, there were complaints about a lack of follow-up to calls. Last October, the Garda commissioner, demanded an urgent review of the scheme. Although this has been completed, gardai won’t say what has been concluded.

:rolleyes: Typical of this country. Set up a scheme then let it whither on the vine.

Mike.

Our man in Havana

Tis a shame. I have my sucidial driver up on the 4th of july in Thomastown as it happens. It took almost 2 months for my call to be followed up by the Gardai and almost 6 months to issue a summons, resulting in the whole thing taking 8 months to get to court, where the out come is less than certain.

Only 30 prosecutions? I feel special now

Silvera

IMHO, there are just not enough Guards to deal with everything that is happening.

Perhaps when the Traffic Corps is fully operational, we will see more ideas like 'Traffic Watch' in place!