Programme Director: Mr William Baloyi
Executive Mayor of Tshwane: Mr Ramokgopa
Director-General: Mr George Mahlalela
Acting CEO of the Road traffic Management Corporation (RTMC): Mr Collins Letsoalo
Government officials
Members of the South African Police Service (Saps) and traffic officers
Distinguished guests
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen
Today, we mark the passing out parade for members of the National Traffic Police Intervention Unit (NIU). With this passing out parade, we embark on an intensive campaign, over the next 10years, to mark the international 2011-2020 Decade of Action for Road Safety.
The Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 is a global campaign to halve road crashes world-wide.
As a country we are expected to do the same; all of us in South Africa, provinces and districts, to halve road crashes in various spheres of influence.
On our continent, we kick-started preparations to enter this ten year campaign in July 2009 when, as Transport Ministers in Africa, we attended the Africa Make Roads Safe Conference in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
In Tanzania, we recommitted ourselves to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of halving road crashes as a key aspect of our work. In March 2010, at the first Global United Nations Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Moscow, we joined global efforts to escalate road safety to an international priority.
Since then, a United Nations (UN) General Assembly resolution has been passed which proclaimed 2011-2020 the Decade of Action for Road Safety in the whole world. In this regard during May 2011, we will join the global community for celebrations of the official kick-off to the Decade of Action for Road Safety campaign.
Through the Decade, Member States commit to actions in areas such as developing and enforcing legislation on key risk factors: limiting speed, reducing drink-driving, and increasing the use of seatbelts, child restraints and motorcycle helmets. Efforts are also being undertaken to improve emergency trauma care, upgrade road and vehicle safety standards, promote road safety education and enhance road safety management generally.
World-wide, approximately 1.3 million people die on the roads and 50 million sustain non-fatal injuries every year. In South Africa, 14 000 people die in road crashes annually. This amounts to approximately R56 billion annually in our country on lost revenue, medical costs, insurance and lost income.
National response to road crash challenge
- As part of the Decade of Action for Road Safety launch, we will unveil plans for the better utilisation of human and financial resources across spheres of government to address road deaths. At the launch of the Decade of Action in South Africa, each traffic authority will announce measurable programmes to halve road deaths in their locality.
- The global theme "Making Roads Safe" means that every province in South Africa must cut its road deaths by 50%, every Metro, every district municipality and every local municipality must cut its road deaths by half by 2014.
- Each province, each district municipality, each local municipality will henceforth report to us every month how many road accidents are occurring in their area, what the causal factors are and how these are being addressed.
- We will also announce details on the provision of a more secure, tamper-proof licence card as part of the Decade of Action, and unveil details on the roll-out of the driver licence campaign for young people of 18 years of age.
- We have started cooperating with SADC countries in the harmonisation of our vehicle system, eNaTIS. Namibia and Lesotho are already using the system and other countries will be joining soon.
- As South Africa, we are also chairing and championing road safety on behalf of SADC countries.
National Intervention Unit (NIU)
Ladies and Gentlemen, enforcement is a key lever in addressing road deaths. In this regard over the past nine months, 231 Traffic Officers underwent specialised training as part of a joint programme of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) and the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral).
- Today, for the first time in the history of South Africa, we are pleased to unleash into our traffic policing system these highly-trained and dedicated officers who will be commanded at national level.
- They are the National Traffic Police Intervention Unit (NIU), a specialised intervention force that is now available for deployment to deal with any traffic situation in the country. They were trained at the Tshwane Metro Police Academy and Boekenhoutkloof Traffic Training College.
- These men and women have also received training in advanced driving, inter-personal communications, anti-corruption, dealing with diplomatic personnel, first aid and incident management.
- The situation at present is that our national road network is poorly policed because enforcement authorities are focusing on their network, occasionally venturing onto national roads. This Unit will intensify the policing of our national network.
- From time to time, the Unit will engage in joint operations with provincial traffic authorities, municipal/metro police, SAPS, Cross Border Road Transport Agency, Military Police and other relevant agencies such as SARS, Immigration and Environmental Affairs.
- We must expect to see this Unit very soon at roadside checkpoints, multi-disciplinary roadblocks, high-impact visibility patrols, un-marked patrols and alcohol test centres.
- Road safety in South Africa is essentially about eradicating death, crashes and bribery. The unit will be tasked with dealing with bribery and fraudulent driver licences.
- A significant part of the Unit's work will therefore be to intervene in corruption-ridden traffic centres around the country. This unit is now available for deployment in areas which we will identify for special attention. These include national roads where enforcement is particularly weak, provincial hotspots and municipalities and villages with high road accidents.
- We therefore expect the highest standards of these officers; they must be beyond reproach; they must be highly disciplined; they must have the highest standards of professionalism.
Why we need special intervention
- At least 1000 blank death certificates every month wait for a name, and every month without fail, the names come one by one from road accidents all over the country. Every month no less than 1000 healthy, young, economically active individuals are buried because of road accidents!
- We know most of these accidents take place over weekends and between 19h00 and 23h00. We also know that a combination of factors cause the accidents:
" We face death by our own design - death by human error, death through drunkenness and corruption. Poor driver behaviour and attitude - 95% of crashes follow a traffic violation.
" A culture of impunity in respect of payment of traffic fines, resulting in little behavior change for offenders.
" Fraud and corruption.
" First-class, high-speed roads, travelling through informal settlements and rural areas where pedestrian activity is high and pedestrian access inadequate.”
We must therefore continue with our three-pronged approach to addressing road deaths in our country namely: Engineering, Education and Enforcement. Our road infrastructure must be in good condition, education of road users will continue and we will enforce the laws of the land.
Launching 2011 Easter National Rolling Enforcement Plan (NREP)
- During the 2011 Easter long weekend random operations will continue on various routes and at various times. Alcohol enforcement operations have already gathered momentum following the establishment of Dragar Centres in the major cities.
- During the Easter holidays special blitzes will be conducted nation-wide by various traffic authorities. We are certain that as part of the National Rolling Enforcement Plan (NREP), the National Intervention Unit will help increase compliance in all areas.
The NREP will become a permanent feature of life in South Africa. Everywhere you turn, there will be a Traffic Police Officer waiting for you.
Conclusion
Today we join the world for the next ten years, to end road carnage globally. We salute these men and women in the passing out parade today. You are part of our most valued arsenal in the fight to eradicate road accidents over the next 10 years.
As part of this international campaign, we expect the world of you! Because of you, we are now more certain in our efforts to reduce road deaths in our country. Together, we will end the carnage on our roads.
Thank you.
