Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has conveyed condolences to the family of a KwaZulu-Natal Traffic Officer who was killed whilst attempting to stop a speeding motorcyclist earlier today, 5 November.
According to KwaZulu-Natal Traffic Authorities, Principal Provincial Inspector (PPI) Ashrina Ramklown (33), a lecturer at the KwaZulu-Natal Traffic Training College, was knocked and killed whilst trying to stop a speeding motorcyclist on the N3 near Midmar Dam, outside Pietermaritzburg earlier today, 5 November. The motorcyclist also died.
“We want to convey condolences to the family and colleagues of PPI Ashrina Ramklown, who was killed whilst trying to stop a speeding motorcyclist in KwaZulu-Natal earlier today, 5 November. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all during these difficult moments. We want to repeat our calls for tougher punishment for those road users who continue to display a blatant disregard for road rules and traffic officers,” said the Minister.
Meanwhile, as part of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, Minister Ndebele, road safety experts and other stakeholders will launch the IMPERIAL Holdings I-Pledge road safety campaign on Tuesday, 8 November 2011.
“Motor vehicles have become the deadliest weapons of mass destruction in recent history! We must act and we must act now! In South Africa, road crashes result in at least 40 deaths every day, 1 000 deaths every month and about 14 000 a year, leaving scores injured. Globally, road crashes account for 1.3 million deaths. The carnage is estimated to cost more than R60 billion to our domestic economy. Clearly, this is a cost we can least afford. With the launch of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020, road safety has moved from being a national and a continental issue to being a global challenge. The Department of Transport wants to form solid partnerships with organised labour, business, the religious community, civil society as well as other formations to end the carnage on our roads.
“To this end, the Department of Transport is proud to partner with IMPERIAL and their I-Pledge campaign. IMPERIAL is a major road user in southern Africa with its sheer size and geographic footprint putting the group in a great position to make a difference. IMPERIAL has engaged with numerous stakeholders in the road, transport and safety arenas. Most recently, IMPERIAL joined hands with the Department of Transport as a Friend of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.Road safety is everybody’s responsibility,” the Minister said.
Details of the launch are as follows:
Date: Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, Sandton, Johannesburg
Time: 08h30 for 09h00
RSVP: Journalists attending must please confirm their attendance with: Logan Maistry on 083 6444 050, MaistryL@dot.gov.za
Report bad driving to 0861 400 800.
