Road safety is set to receive an even higher priority at local government level with Community Road Safety Councils in every municipality, said Chairperson of the National Road Safety Council and Chief Director: Road Safety in the national Department of Transport, Reverend Themba Vundla.
The aim is to ensure that road safety targets form an integral part of local Integrated Development Plans. Another step towards making South Africa's roads safer is a summit for driving schools in the next few weeks, hosted by the Department of Transport.
"Through Community Road Safety Councils in every municipality, we are advocating the 'Road Safety is Everybody's Business approach', Reverend Vundla said. “Council members include newly-elected councillors, religious leaders, private sector, schools, traditional leaders and government departments".
He said this was in line with the United Nations Decade of Action 2011-2020, the Millennium Development Goals and calls by Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele for all provinces, district municipalities and local municipalities to provide regular reports on road crashes indicating plans to address the causal factors. The National Road Safety Council is working towards ensuring that road safety forms an integral part of local Integrated Development Plans.
"South Africa will be hosting the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Ministers of Transport Conference in October 2011, where the SADC plan for the United Nations (UN) Decade of Action will be finalised. South Africa is already cooperating with SADC countries in the harmonisation of its traffic information systems. Namibia and Lesotho are using the e-NaTIS system and other countries will soon follow.
"We call upon more South Africans to take responsibility for their safety on the roads during this Decade of Action. The Department of Transport welcomes partnerships with organised labour, business, the religious community, civil society as well as other formations to end the carnage on our roads," said Vundla.
South Africa joined the rest of the world and officially launched the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011 to 2020 on 11 May 2011. As part of the new National Rolling Enforcement Plan, from 1 October 2010 to 31 May 2011 almost 10 million (9 926 693) vehicles and drivers have been checked, over 4,1 million (4 115 292) fines issued for various traffic offences, 15 197 drunk drivers arrested and 39 706 un-roadworthy vehicles discontinued from use.
Enquiries:
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Source: SAPA
