The Editor, Sir:

The headlines scream 'Road deaths could rise to level of HIV/AIDS' 'Ticketing system needs makeover'. However, none of the articles point to the root cause of traffic accidents in Jamaica - gutless politicians are fearful of calling a spade a spade, by merely suggesting that the tax collection exercise carried out by policemen daily throughout this island to the disgust of many, is not enough.

The bleeding bodies of traffic victims are not just the result of drunken or drug-induced driving - the root cause is the sale of licences.

It is time for Sister P and her party to step up to the plate and not just denounce with words the purchase and sale of driver's licences, but to insist that the so-called examiners step down. They should be fired!

Now I will hear the protests - from the church members, the traffic examiners, the scoundrels who purchase licences, the social workers, the driving schools - but I remain adamant - the problem is poor ethics coupled with bad governance.

If there is a traffic examiner who will wilfully fail someone who has the skills, just in order to get them to "let off a money" that someone should have the right to protest. The Government should weed them out!

Driving schools, the middleman

The driving schools are in the conspiracy - they are the middlemen, so the student pays the obligatory "let off fee" to the teacher, giving no scope for an accusation of bribery from the student.

Let the big men who sit on every commission take this on and ensure that after the recommendation is made it is enforced.

What we need is people who can actually drive according to the rules of the traffic manual.

Then we will have safety on the roads!

I am, etc.,

FAITH BLACKWOOD

faithblackwood@yahoo.com

Montego Bay

Via Go-Jamaica