A POLICE initiative designed to crack down on poor driving habits is still in effect, despite a resident's claim to the contrary.And motorists were yesterday urged not to be confused by the aim of the scheme.

According to police, its goal is to change "the culture of behaviour" on Bermuda's roads rather than punish drivers for their poor habits.

Officers passed comment in response to a letter which appeared in The Royal Gazette yesterday, written under the pseudonym Support Your Police.

According to the author: "Two Fridays ago the police came out with this bold initiative to crack down on the stupidity and asinine behaviour that permeates Bermuda's roadways.

"One one hand I say bravo to them for a worthy initiative. But on the other hand I ask, 'Where is the follow-up? Ten days later, people are once again on their bikes creating a third lane. Ten days later, they are still assuming 50 kph is the speed limit and push to go faster.

"Ten days later, not a police speed trap or check point is to be found. So where is the sincerity in their initiative? If they are going to crackdown on road safety and are serious about it, let's take some positive steps and follow through."

Police announced a traffic crime blitz on October 18, stating that more than 20 extra officers had been drafted to help tackle everything from speeding to motorbikes travelling between lanes of traffic.

The initiative was said to be part of a zero-tolerance approach which would see officers "flooding the streets, dealing with all these traffic related offences in cars, on bikes, on foot, from the East End to the West End and everywhere in between".

Officers declared the blitz was necessary to promote safer roads in a year that has seen ten men lose their lives in motorcycle accidents. A total of 68 people have lost their lives on the island's roads since April of 1999.

"We will be targeting a host of offences — first and most critical is speeding," Acting Inspector Raoul Ming said as he announced the blitz.

Warning that the limit is 35 kilometres per hour, he added: "There's a belief the public can travel at 50 kph and be safe. That's wrong. Anyone travelling over the speed limit will be ticketed accordingly."

Yesterday, a police spokesperson said the blitz was still in operation.

According to Support Your Police, it could be better improved if officers were to travel with "pre-printed tickets" during rush hour in such areas as the Paget traffic lights and East Broadway, along South Shore, North Shore and Middle roads and at Barnes Corner.

The writer also suggested the island could benefit from a programme which would see all drivers travelling on major roads out of Hamilton in the early hours of the morning, stopped nightly and given breath samples.

"What I am suggesting here is nothing new — this type of enforcement works exceptionally well in many other places in the world. Until we get serious with the problem, we will not effectively address the problem."

Said the police spokesperson: "The traffic initiative by the Bermuda Police Service is an effort to change the motoring public's behaviour on the roads, to change the culture of the behaviour on our roads in Bermuda. It's an effort to change driving and riding habits. It wasn't meant as a punitive measure."

He insisted that just because a driver does not see officers enforcing the law does not mean the police are not clamping down on poor habits.

"Policing, as everyone knows, is a 24-hour job. Some individuals may not see police on the roads when they are travelling and may observe (illegal) behaviour.

"Our traffic drills are regularly conducted — when the roads are most busy during the rush hour periods in the morning and evening, and late at night."