“A moment of stupidity and selfishness – A lifetime of pain and regret”
The Department of Roads and Transport’s fundamental resolve of reducing carnage on our roads will be on full display this Easter weekend. Gone is the era where traffic violators get away with a slap on the wrist only to be involved in devastating road crashes claiming innocent lives on the road ahead.
The department will adopt a zero tolerance approach ensuring that all road users obey all traffic regulations. Traffic regulation violators are therefore warned to violate traffic rules at their own peril as they will face the consequences. The department will not tolerate reckless, negligent and irresponsible use of our roads this Easter weekend.
South Africa is part of the “decade of action for road safety” which was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly with the aim to reduce road deaths by 50% by 2020. Therefore Limpopo needs to play its meaningful part and contribute to achieving this target. During Easter 2012, 23 people lost their lives on Limpopo roads compared to 25 recorded fatalities during Easter 2011. This represented a decrease in fatalities of 8%. For the department one life lost is one life too many.
However; our planned, stringent and focused operations are aimed at further reducing carnage on our roads.
This year’s Easter Arrive Alive campaign will focus on the five pillars of the decade of action which are:
- road safety management
- safer roads, vehicle safety
- safer road users and
- post-crash response.
The province is bracing itself for a massive influx of pilgrims to Moria City from 28 March 2013 mainly from neighbouring provinces and neighbouring countries.
Approximately 9,5 million pilgrims are expected in Moria to attend the annual Easter church service. Besides the traffic heading to Moria scores of people mainly economic migrants and holiday makers will also make their way to Limpopo. As a result of these high traffic volumes expected the major arterial routes and ports of entry will be congested.
The increased traffic volumes during Easter will pose the following challenges:
- An increased number of busses which lead to congestion and delays at toll plazas and border gates
- Overloading of public passenger transport
- Pedestrian jaywalking
- Breaking down of vehicles and trailers
- Reckless and negligent driving and
- Drunken driving and over speeding.
The department is also concerned about the increase in the number of pedestrian fatalities. During Easter 2012, 13 pedestrians perished on our roads compared to 3 for the same period in 2011. Pedestrian fatalities accounted for 23% of all fatalities reported during Easter 2012. We are therefore making an impassioned plea to all pedestrians to use our roads responsibly, refrain from drinking and walking, wear reflective clothes at night and cross the road when it’s safe to do so.
The major contributory factors to accidents during Easter 2012 were the following:
- Speeding
- Pedestrian jaywalking
- Drunken driving
- Driver fatigue
- Stray animals.
To curtail road deaths this year the department under the leadership of MEC Pitsi Moloto will implement a focused and intensified campaign. The campaign is centred on an intensive law enforcement plan that will mobilises the province’s 1 094 traffic officers and 33 road safety officials. The plan will further focus on hazardous locations and the omnipresence of our traffic officials who will be deployed on a 24/7 shift basis.
The department will deploy 353 marked and 38 unmarked traffic police and road safety vehicles on identified critical routes daily. The visible policing operations will focus on moving violations which is reckless and negligent driving. Special focus will be placed on top five priority routes and the expected days of higher traffic volume ( 28 to 31 March and 1 April 2013).
Identified priority routes are:
- N1 Mantsole to Musina
- R521 Dendron road
- R71 Polokwane to Tzaneen
- R101 Polokwane to Bela Bela
- R36 Tzaneen to Lydenburg
The department will also deploy three vehicles fitted with high-tech Moving Violations Recorders at identified hazardous areas within the province. Roving speed checks will also be undertaken at various key strategic areas in the province. Law enforcement visibility will be heightened through our partnership with the South African Police through our “Operation Blue Lights on” initiative.
The Alcohol Evidence Centre in Polokwane will be operating on a 24 hour basis. It must be noted that, out of the 2 164 accidents on our roads this financial year, 36 were caused by drivers driving under the influence of alcohol. Our efforts have already seen 3 695 motorists screened and tested as a result 165 were arrested.
High impact joint road blocks with the South African Police will be carried out this Easter. The focus areas will include drunken driving, vehicle and driver fitness, public transport and passenger overloading. We will also conduct daily joint special operations with the Border Control Operational Coordinated Committee (BCOCC) at Beit Bridge and Groblersbrug Border Posts. The operations will commence from 28 March 2013 focusing on traffic congestion, overloading and transport related crimes.
MEC Pitsi Moloto calls on all road users this Easter weekend to be responsible on our roads and refrain from being selfish, reckless and negligent which may result in a lifetime of pain and regret. “We all need to realise that road safety is our individual and joint responsibility. The department will use all the resources at its disposal, human and material to ensure that our roads are safe and that all road users arrive alive,” said Moloto
The department will engage in a strengthened and appropriate publicity campaign which will inform and caution motorists with hard hitting messages on road safety. Together we must ensure that we use our roads responsibly. Passengers are encouraged not to get into unroadworthy public transport vehicles and that they must report reckless driving on our toll free number, 0800 006 694 or our 24/7 control room number which is 015 295 1022. The department would like to wish all road users a safe Easter weekend, free of carnage and that all people must Arrive Alive.
For media enquiry please contact:
Joshua Kwapa, Roads and Transport Spokesperson
Tel: 015 295 1224
Cell: 082 049 9667 or 079 185 7958
E-mail: kwapaj@drt.limpopo.gov.za
