The current debate on the abundant installation of speed cameras to control the traffic flow in the island's restricted road space is very exciting.

Slowly but surely the increasing number of gadgets, police and wardens is an encouragement to change our travelling habits and go back to horse-driven carriages, horseback and walking. The last option would at least reduce the incidence of diabetes.

Thanks to ethnic traits, drivers often try to spot the escape clauses and get away with quite a few infringements. Unfortunately, due to a handful of over-enthusiastic drivers, who should be responsible road users, driving powerful machines becomes a hazard to the vast majority of law abiders, both pedestrians and drivers. Not to mention the permanent danger to children who are not all that aware of dangerous consequences.

This situation begs the competent authorities to put their foot down or, rather, the speed-cameras up. When the lines are drawn both law abiders and the careless will have to face the limitations, impositions and restrictions, no matter how overbearing.

The debate takes a further dimension. Some argue that installing speed cameras is another way of taxing the citizenry. They believe that road users perform better if educated in road safety, consideration for others and reasonably qualified speed limits.

In the circumstances, merging both trends of belief, trying to reap the best of two worlds, may be a reasonable way out. The idea of having an annual mark allotment to all licensed drivers was mentioned quite some time ago but has never taken root. The easiest way out of the situation was to plant as many speed cameras as possible at strategic points and leave the system doing the rest, collecting fines, that is. The urge of making money out of this cannot be underestimated. Experts would be asked to equate an infringement with a fine. Say, parking on a street corner would entail a fine of €X, which would be equivalent to Y marks. A list of all traffic infringements, which, incidentally, is invariably printed on the obverse of contravention tickets, is very exhaustive.

The driver committing the infringement would have the choice of either opting out of the marks system or paying the fine. Of course, every contravention would be considered separately at face value.

Conscientious drivers who are rarely fined would probably opt to have their marks reduced, knowing too well that being booked is indeed a rarity. On the contrary, habitual traffic regulations breakers would choose to pay the fine or else face the prospect of running out of points and their driving licence is then withheld.

Coming out drivers would only have to choose their lane.