Minister of Transport, Upington
10 December 2006
Programme Director
Deputy Minister Ms Hangana
Premier Ms Peters
Honourable Mayor Van Staden from Khara Hais Municipality
Honourable Mayor Ntuli from Siyanda District Municipality
Mr Hassen Lorgat South African National Non-Government Organisation Coalition
(SANGOGO)
Members of the media
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
In closing the Campaign against the Abuse of Women and Children last year in
Lichtenburg, I emphasised the fact that the closing ceremony was only symbolic
because this campaign continues every day of our lives. The abuse of women and
children is a gross social problem which we must continue to fight on a daily
basis and also condemn with the contempt it deserves.
The Campaign against the Abuse of Women and Children is also a foundation of
peace and the highest priority for the peoples of the World. I am therefore
humbled to receive on behalf of both my department and South Africa's Road
Safety Ambassadors the Torch of Peace in the continued attempt to save innocent
lives on our roads.
Our Arrive Alive campaign continues to strive for a change of driver
behaviour in order to reduce a number of innocent lives that perish on our
roads. More than 13 000 lives are lost on our roads every year costing the
economy more than R43 billion.
Ironically, our economic growth also plays a contributory factor in the
sense that more South Africans are able to buy vehicles. Just last year alone,
more than 600 000 vehicles were bought which translated to a drastic increase
in our vehicle population and more drivers on our roads. These factors mean
that a great number of drivers are entering our roads on the daily basis
leading to a steady increase in road accidents.
Consequently, through our national road safety strategy we continue to
introduce rigorous and innovative ways to improve road safety. Last Tuesday,
for instance, we launched an intensified Arrive Alive Campaign and the Rolling
Enforcement Plan for the festive season with a specific focus on critical
offences contributing to accidents such as drunken driving, speeding,
non-wearing of seatbelts and un-roadworthy vehicles, which are all related to
driver-behaviour.
As we receive the torch of peace today, the transport family commits itself
to a continued zero tolerance approach against traffic offenders countrywide.
With your help, we would, however, like to transcend the zero tolerance
approach to 100 percent compliance, whereby disobeying traffic rules would be
socially unacceptable.
Receiving the torch of peace also coincides with the implementation of the
Rolling Law Enforcement Plan led by the Road Traffic Management Co-operation in
full support of all provinces, metropolitan councils and local authorities.
The intensification of our law enforcement this festive season practically
means that 193 patrol vehicles are already deployed in hazardous routes
throughout the country to ensure compliance.
More than 8 000 law enforcement officers are already deployed countrywide to
ensure police visibility. We discourage our officers from hiding behind bushes
but to be more visible in order to positively influence driver behaviour. A
specific focus on public transport will be the order-of-the-day as we clamp
down on overloading and unroadworthy busses and taxis that transport our people
to holiday destinations. Our law enforcement officers are already conducting 1
000 stop and check of vehicles per day to ensure the legality of both vehicles
and drivers. The demerit and merit system will also be piloted in Tshwane from
next month in order to deal with habitual traffic offenders. The High Court
ruling on the impoundment of vehicles used particularly to commit offences such
as drunken-driving and speeding will be utilised to our full advantage.
The provincial Departments of Transport are investing more than R1, 5
billion in road safety initiatives, which is over and above municipal road
safety campaigns. The national Department of Transport is also contributing
more than R50 million annually to road safety. All these investments are made
to protect the rights of our people to use roads without fear. Those who
threaten this right will be exposed and severely punished.
From today let us all use our roads responsibly. Let us use the tried and
tested tips of Arrive Alive.
Let us buckle up, slow down, walk safely, sober up and rest after ever two
hours or 200 kilometres of driving.
Let us all arrive alive!
Ke ya leboga!
Issued by: Department of Transport
10 December 2006
Source: Department of Transport (http://www.transport.gov.za)
