Mr Paul Chan Poh Hoi suggested a rethink of outsourcing our traffic policing, but I feel the benefits of such a model outweigh the problems ("Rethink practice of outsourcing traffic policing"; July 11).

Outsourcing has brought about much improved enforcement effectiveness - just observe how many motorists now avoid bus lanes.

With confidence in effective enforcement, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) can roll out initiatives such as widespread full-day bus lanes.

That is the beauty of a performance-reward system at work among private contractors, and we must not shy away from this model just because of a few black sheep.

Law enforcement officers are only human, and can be affected by a multitude of factors. It is important to note that the misdemeanours, if any, are not premeditated acts, and that the system's integrity stays intact.

Officers know there is no escaping the public's attention and that punishment is a certainty for any offence committed. This deterrent effect is sound.

There is certainly room to tighten government services procurement, for instance, in the price-quality method evaluation criteria, taking lessons from past incidents.

For service providers, if crimes are committed and result in sackings, the company involved should get demerit points.

The next tender can be awarded to a more deserving firm.

Traffic policing is a manpower-intensive role and should not be left to our core LTA team to tackle alone.

Seow Joo Heng