Given the high incidences of dangerous driving leading to serious casualties in the country, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) will be rolling out an innovative and precautionary safety programme which will serve as both education and rehabilitation for convicted traffic offenders.
As part of the Decade of Action road safety drive, the RTMC is embarking on a safety programme called: “Project Woza Re-Test”, which is in line with Section 25(1) and 25(2) of the NRTA (1996) as amended, where every convicted driver found guilty of any of the arrest able traffic offences listed below may be subjected to both Section 25(1)(b) and Section 25(2) of the NRTA.
- Driving under the influence of alcohol and other substances with narcotic effects (Section 65)
- Reckless, negligent and/or inconsiderate driving (Section 63)
- Excessive speeding i.e. exceeding the 30 km/h threshold in built-up areas and 40 km/h on freeways. (Section 59)
The intention of this programme, therefore, is to suspend the driving licence of any driver who has been found guilty by a court of law, of one or more of the above offences, dating back from 1 January 2012, pending the outcome of a re-test of both, their learners and driving licenses, as per Section 25 of the NRTA. Approximately five thousand drivers have been arrested for various traffic related violations since 1 January 2012.
Convicted offenders will be given fourteen working days in which to explain why his/her license should not be suspended pending the outcome of a re-test of both the learner’s and driving licenses.
The re-test will be at the RTMC’s costand will be conducted by a duly nominated examination officer at an identified testing centre or traffic college. Should the offender fail the initial test, the costs for subsequent tests will be for the account of the offender. Shortly, the RTMC will also be partnering with a private sector company to offer driver education classes at no cost.
“What we hope to achieve through Project Woza Re-Test is to ensure that all drivers that hold licenses and drive on public roads are competent and safe. Where a person is found to be incompetent, then a re-test will require them to undergo additional training before they can be found compliant with the safety prescripts of the Act. In this way, authorities can ensure the safety of all road users,” said Collins Letsoalo, ACEO of the RTMC.
For further information call:
Ashref Ismail
Cell: 071 680 3448
E-mail: ashrefi@rtmc.co.za
