Warning!! Motorists and pedestrians breaking the rules of the road in the Eastern Cape will meet the full might of the law.
Speaking during the provincial launch of the arrive alive campaign, Eastern Cape MEC for Transport and Safety Liaison, Ghishma Barry said: “Through our rolling law enforcement plan, we are going to reach out to all corners of this province to ensure that we clean our roads and pave way for law-abiding citizens. Our arrive alive campaign is underway and already, road traffic offenders are beginning to feel our zero tolerance approach. Through our multi agency collaboration, we are convinced that we can register more successes during this season. Last weekend alone, our provincial and municipal traffic officers arrested 169 drunk drivers in Buffalo City, Uitenhage and Aliwal North.”
“We are going to further pay a particular attention to unroadworthy public transport vehicles. Already, we have suspended 17 busses and 10 mini busses in the Queenstown and Mount Frere areas and this will be intensified throughout the province, ”said Barry, adding that her department is simultaneously investing in road safety education mostly targeting youth. Through the Learner Driver Project, this targets Grade 11 and 12 learners and has reached at least 337 learners from 33 schools throughout the province.
Speaking at the event, Transport Minister, S'bu Ndebele said that there is no reason people should be dying from the roads.
“From Gauteng to KwaZulu-Natal to the Eastern Cape and the entire country, our message is that road safety is no longer just a national concern. We will win this if we have partnerships with community based organisations, private companies, faith based organisations and non-governmental organisations. We will win by addressing the three E’s, Engineering, Education and Enforcement. We can stop these carnages, said Ndebele.
With the Special Operations Task Team (SOTT) making inroads in drunken driving and reducing road accidents in the province by welcome margins, Ndebele said he was pleased that the SOTT has arrested drunken drivers between last Friday and Saturday.
According to Barry, since its inception last December, the SOTT has arrested at least 3 381 drunk drivers, issued 24 940 summonses worth R12million, suspended 1 734 vehicles and confiscated 209 misused government vehicles.
On the other hand, Ndebele and Barry signed the Wall of Remembrance which was amounted on the recently burnt minibus taxi which took lives of locals in Mthatha.
Issued by: Department of Transport, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
10 December 2009
Source: Department of Transport, Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ectransport.gov.za)
