Traffic policing at night

I heard Police Superintendent Ray Zammit speak on Bonġu.

The programme is highly informative, educational and entertaining, all to the credit of John Bundy and his team.

But sometimes, certain titbits of information, even given unwittingly, serve as eye-openers to good and bad listeners alike.

Everyone would agree with Supt Zammit that traffic is continually on the increase, making Malta one of the most congested, if not the most congested, country in the world in this regard.

But with all the (not infrequent) recruitment of police officers that we keep hearing about, why does the Traffic Control Section not seem to be getting its fair share of increases in its ranks? How long has it stood at 45 personnel?

But the information that struck me most was Supt Zammit's saying that traffic policemen normally work from 7 a.m. (if I'm not mistaken) till 3 p.m. and then another shift takes over until 11 p.m., "with the service being extended as necessary until 2 a.m".

Does this mean that careless, reckless or irresponsible drivers can do whatever they want between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. unless they are spotted by the Mobile Squad or crash against something?

This is a very jarring note when one keeps in mind Supt.Zammit's observation that traffic at night eases but does not cease.