Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has called on South Africans to play a leading role in the United Nations (UN) Decade of Action against Road Deaths to be officially launched world-wide during May 2011.
The minister made the call earlier today, Saturday, 26 February 2011 at the closing of a three-day Transport Lekgotla held in Cape Town from Thursday, 24 February 2011. Approximately 300 delegates attended including Transport MECs, Portfolio Committee Members, Mayoral Committee Members, Heads of Departments, CEOs of various transport agencies, other senior transport officials from national, provincial and local government as well as representatives from the taxi industry and other transport sectors. Key issues discussed at the Lekgotla included road safety and traffic management, road infrastructure with specific focus on road maintenance and potholes, public transport, economic infrastructure and communication and stakeholder management. The transport action plan for the new financial year 2011/12 emanating from the Lekgotla will be presented to the Transport MinMec for adoption. Further details will be communicated in due course.
Meanwhile, last night Friday, 25 February 2011, 12 people were reported killed and several others injured in a road crash between a mini-bus taxi and truck near the Strijdom Tunnel in the Willows in Limpopo.
“We want to convey condolences to the families and relatives of those killed in the horrific road crash in Limpopo last night 25 February 2011 and wish those injured a speedy recovery. There is war on our roads and we must win this war against road deaths. South Africa must play a leading role in the UN Decade of Action against Road Deaths from 2011 to 2020, to be officially launched world-wide during May 2011.
Every municipality, school, church, mosque and temple must ask which 1 000 is going to die on our roads during March? Who is going to be the killer and who is going to be the deceased? Which driver will be known as a driver at the start of the day and a murderer by the end of the day? Which one of you? Disobeying road rules is a shame. We must reach a stage where we obey road rules through voluntary compliance and self-consciousness and not merely law enforcement. In South Africa we are not anywhere near that. There is still a lot of work to be done with regards to self-consciousness. We need renewed enthusiasm and energy on road safety. Road safety is everybody’s responsibility. Together, let us all do our part,” said Minister Ndebele.
In line with the UN Declaration for a Decade of Action against Road Deaths, Minister Ndebele announced the Make Roads Safe Campaign last year. As part of the campaign, as of 1 October 2010, the new Traffic National Rolling Enforcement Plan (NREP) was implemented, whereby no less than one million vehicles and drivers will be stopped and checked every month. From 1 October 2010 to 31 January 2011, more than 5.5 million (5 593 188) vehicles and drivers have been checked and more than 2 million fines issued for various traffic offences, well above the million-a-month target announced in October 2010 (Oct 2010, 1 385 521 vehicles and drivers checked, Nov 2010, 1 493 574, Dec 2010, 1 608 548, Jan 2011, 1 105 545). During January 2011, 1 665 motorists were arrested for drinking and driving and 3 788 un-roadworthy vehicles were discontinued from use.
Enquiries:
Logan Maistry
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