Kiev, Ukraine
President Viktor Yushchenko abolished Ukraine’s traffic police this week, saying the force was so corrupt it had to be scrapped entirely. Rather than writing tickets for speeding, police routinely demand that drivers pay “fines” in cash, directly to the officers. “You have discredited this service,” Yushchenko declared. “That is why I have decided there will be no traffic patrol in Ukraine as of today.” The directive puts some 23,000 people out of work. Interior Minister Yuriy Lutsenko said he would immediately begin building a new traffic force; in the meantime, regular police officers will also be responsible for enforcing traffic laws.
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