Traffic branch police officers were fortunate to have been going about their daily duties as should be when Home Affairs Manuel Mallia paid an unexpected visit to the garage of the traffic section at the depot in Floriana last month.
This is not a first for Dr Mallia. The last time he did so was to the Corradino Correctional Facility to the dismay of a number of warders who were caught skiving at the time of his visit.
The surprise visit to the traffic section came after a number of police officers on duty on a particular day last month heard an individual pop up on their radio channel and stating that he is a 'VIP'. At this point, police officers on duty who happened to hear the VIP's intervention thought it was a person who was just playing around since it is not the first time police radios were intercepted by amateur enthusiasts.
This happened a few minutes after a routine radio check had just been conducted whereby traffic police officers were being asked to give a brief of the situation in the area they happened to be in at the time in terms of traffic flows.
The VIP was heard asking those at the end of the other line why a radio check was being done. The radio check is conducted on a daily basis. The next thing, a police officer was heard asking the VIP to identify himself but the VIP refused to do so. Soon after the police officer was heard telling the person claiming to be a VIP that he should mind his own business. At this point in time, Police Commissioner Ray Zammit was heard over the radio channel and asking the VIP to make contact with him personally at the depot.
Some 15 minutes later or less, a surprise visit was made by the minister at the traffic section.
Ever since this happened, sources told this newsroom that traffic section police and district police have been ordered to be present during rush hours in areas mostly known to be congested with traffic, mainly between 6.30 am and 9.30 am and 4.30 pm and 7 pm In fact, many police have been spotted in areas where traffic has been relatively heavy this last month.