/ 2 February 2010

Ndebele calls for increased law enforcement on roads

Law enforcement agencies must step up their operations following a number of traffic accidents countrywide, Transport Minister S’bu Ndebele said on Tuesday.

“We have instructed traffic law enforcement agencies to step up law enforcement operations and increase high visibility patrols,” Ndebele said in a statement.

“Enforcement will be targeted against those violations and at those times and places which give rise to a high number of road crashes.”

He conveyed his condolences to the families of people killed in road accidents.

“We want to express our condolences to the families and relatives of all those killed in these road crashes. Our thoughts and prayers are with them.

“We wish the injured a speedy recovery. Officials from the Road Accident Fund (RAF) will be visiting these families to provide necessary assistance to them during their time of bereavement,” he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, 12 people were killed in a multiple-vehicle pile-up on the N1 North outside Polokwane.

In another accident on the same day, 20 children were injured when the driver of a minibus taxi, who was allegedly drunk, lost control of the vehicle and it overturned in Kempton Park in JohanneS’burg.

On Monday, six people were killed in a road accident involving four vehicles on the N3 near Estcourt in KwaZulu-Natal, while 12 people were killed in a road crash involving two minibus taxis, two bakkies and a truck in Groblersdal in Limpopo on Sunday evening.

Ndebele said during December and January, law enforcement officers conducted more than 1 500 roadblocks throughout the country and stopped and checked more than 1,2-million vehicles and drivers.

More than 6 000 vehicles, including 1536 buses and 1669 taxis were impounded, suspended or discontinued.

“We must reduce the impact of road traffic crashes 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. We want to reiterate our call to all road users, particularly public transport operators and drivers, to obey all road rules and exercise extreme caution on the roads.”

He said South Africans need to radically change their attitudes and mindset towards road safety.

“We will only reduce the carnage on our roads if traffic offences become totally unacceptable to the people of our country.

“Zero tolerance for all traffic offences is precisely what road users must experience on our roads everyday,” he said.–Sapa