Minister of Transport Robin Carlisle has challenged the 95 vehicle testing stations throughout the province to provide free safety checks to motorists in time for the festive season.
Minister Carlisle is optimistic that the initiative will go a long way towards reducing the carnage on our roads. "I know that there are 20 members of the National Vehicle Testing Association that already offer free safety checks on an annual basis around the Easter and festive seasons. I think this is a wonderful contribution so much so that I've written to every vehicle testing station, municipal and private, urging them to follow suit. Safer vehicles are an important element in making our roads safe."
The free safety check is not a roadworthy test but an exercise that identifies and checks the important basics:
- Foot and hand brakes
- All lights
- Tyres
- Wipers
- Front and rear suspension
- Steering mechanism
- Exhaust and
- Wheel alignment
Interested vehicle testing stations can sign up to this endeavour until Monday, 23 November 2009. If all vehicle testing stations heed this call, they will join the growing list of organisations that have come on board to the province’s road safety campaign: Safely Home the aim of which is to halve road fatalities by 2014.
Media enquiries:
Solly Malatsi
Cell: 083 641 9691
E-mail: smalatsi@pgwc.gov.za
