Makana traffic officials have been out in full force and transport minister Sbusiso Ndebele has urged motorists and other members of the public to use a toll-free number to report reckless driving on roads, as Transport Month gets under way.
Makana traffic officials have been out in full force and transport minister Sbusiso Ndebele has urged motorists and other members of the public to use a toll-free number to report reckless driving on roads, as Transport Month gets under way.
Ndebele was speaking at the recent launch of the 2011 October Transport Month campaign in Karino near Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
“As we had serious accidents on our roads from August to September, we urge passengers to also get involved in ensuring their safety by dialling our toll-free number, 0861 400 800, when they see something wrong,” said Ndebele.
Ndebele said his department's was concerned about the escalating road carnage in South Africa.
Ndebele said there were 70% fewer accidents around 1963, when the speed limit was 110km/h.
“It was then agreed that the speed limit should be 120km/h, which the department aims to bring down to 100km/h. With more than 10 million vehicles on roads in the country, lower speed limits will decrease accidents and we can win this war," he said.
Ndebele said the department aimed to check at least one million vehicles a month – 250 000 weekly, or 40 000 daily.
“Our targets are drunken driving, recklessness and negligence, unroadworthy vehicles and overloading,” he said.
National department spokesman, Sello Tshipi, said the Transport Month campaign started in September 2005 as Public Transport Month. At that time, its focus was on encouraging commuters to use public transport.
Today the campaign includes monitoring scholar transport systems, High Occupancy Day, to promote the use of shared and public transport, clean-up campaigns at taxi ranks, donations of bicycles, the patching of potholes, National Youth Service graduations and the opening of new roads.
The Makana Traffic Department held two road blocks on Wednesday. One person was charged with drunk driving, two drivers were hauled in for outstanding warrants of arrest, while one taxi was stopped and fined for a faulty hooter
. – BuaNews and Staff Reporter
