Programme Director,
Deputy Minister of Transport – Honourable Sindisiwe Chikunga,
The MEC of Police, Roads and Transport – Honourable Butana Komphela,
Members of the Executive Council and Free State Legislature,
All dignitaries from SANTACO, SABOA and RFA,
Officials from all spheres of government,
Guests,
Members of the media,
Ladies and gentlemen,
The end of the year has arrived and we are here today in Harrismith to launch the 2014 Festive Season Road Safety Campaign.
The department of transport together with the Road Traffic Safety fraternity, and the different transport agencies, namely; South African National Road Agency Limited (SANRAL), Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA), Road Accident Fund (RAF), Cross Border Road Traffic Agency (C-BRTA) and other state departments such as South African Police Services (SAPS), Health, Home Affairs and other related supporting services together with the Interfaith Religious Community, the Road Safety Councils, the Institute of Traffic and Municipal Officers, the Institute of the Licensing Officers will once again go out and protect and serve the South African Community during this festive season - Making South African roads safe.
This year is not different from the previous years, and the road traffic fraternity is in full swing to serve the South African Public and protect all road users especially commuters as a focus point.
The detailed integrated road traffic safety plan covers the period from November 2014 to January 2015.
It is a plan that seeks to enhance co-ordination, integration and improved law enforcement and road traffic safety awareness and education activities for maximum results. It also encompasses the notion of Road Safety being everybody's responsibility by cooperating with all agencies, different departments, non-governmental organisation (NGO’s) and Churches in its numerous formations.
This plan maps our trajectory towards 2020 UN Decade of Action of stabilising, halving and or reversing road traffic fatalities, and for this period as ‘Festive Season with a different agenda’.
The Decade of Action for Road Safety is a declaration of war against road crashes and fatalities.
This is indeed a Festive Season with a difference where the road safety-leading agencies are better prepared than before. South Africa is celebrating twenty years of democracy, together we can save millions of lives as we thank the heroes and heroines who died for our freedom, and those who died on our roads.
During the previous month of October, we have seen an increased number of crashes involving heavy goods motor vehicles and public passenger motor vehicles.
Amongst other interventions of this ANC government in response to the above, is to invoke Section 50 of the National Road Traffic Act which empowers the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) CEO to deal harshly with the operators, motor vehicle and drivers who do not comply with the provision of the said Act, which includes inter alia the suspension of the operators, impoundment, retesting of the vehicles and the arrest of the drivers and operators.
A National Traffic Operation Centre situated at the RTMC offices will monitor the implementation of the national plan as submitted by the provinces, Metros and the different traffic authorities throughout the country.
It is the responsibility of all these authorities to ensure that the plans are implemented as planned and proper detailed reports are achieved for auditing purposes.
We are committed in the fight against corruption and bribery and it still continues. No stone will be left unturned when we deal harshly with corrupt officials.
This will include public members who will be enticing our officials to accept bribes. When we arrest both parties, they will feel the heat of our National Anti–Corruption Unit who will be deployed throughout the country.
Vehicles without number plates will be discontinued and information will be verified. This process is to ensure that they are inconvenienced and officers will take their time with the possibility of detention where reasonable grounds are established.
The key focus areas of this launch will include the following: Impaired Driving
Targeting alcohol abuse, drug abuse, distracted driving and fatigue management.
Dangerous Driving
Targeting excessive speed, dangerous overtaking and all road violations.
Occupants Safety
Targeting front and rear seatbelts, child restraints and air bags.
Public Transport and Loads Management
Targeting passenger and Freight Transport overload and documentation.
Vulnerable road users
Targeting visibility, drinking and walking, jay walking distracted walking and crossing on freeways.
Vehicle fitness
Road-worthiness of vehicles and documentation specifically number plates.
The Road Traffic Safety Education will engage with the drivers with regards to road safety education focusing on visibility, speed, travelling at night and stray animals.
We will be focusing on passengers; pedestrians; motorists; bus and truck drivers; and car manufactures.
Ladies and gentlemen,
South Africa relies heavily on road-based transport for the movement of people and goods. South Africa has a road network of approximately 750 000 km, the 10th longest road network in the world.
SANRAL manages a road network of 21 403 km (2014), equating to approximately only 2,8% of the total road network, but yet carries approximately 26% of all traffic and 75% of all freight movement in South Africa.
These facts highlight the vital importance, and strategic role of a safe and efficient primary road network for South Africa.
In 2013/14 SANRAL awarded 175 contracts worth R8.9 billion for new works, rehabilitation and improvement, periodic and special maintenance, routine road maintenance (RRM), community development, supervision and other activities on the National Road Network.
These infrastructural changes and improvements increase road safety for all road users. These projects benefit businesses, sub-contractors and labour in surrounding communities, including training and skills transfer.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The following are major projects that are or about to be completed during 2014, and which will greatly enhance safety for all users:
- N2: Upgrade between Murchison to Maritzburg;
- R11: Upgrade between Nkunzi river to One Tree Hill;
- Improvements to the Mount Edgecombe Interchange;
- N2: Ballito Interchange;
- N2: Improvements to the Umgeni Interchange;
- New bridge over the Mthatha river;
- N12: Construction of an Asphalt overlay between Daveyton and Delmas;
- R35: Rehabilitation of roads, p97/1 & d2514 from Amersfoort to Majuba power station;
- N17: Rehabilitation from Ermelo to Chrissiesmeer;
- N7: Improvement between Cederberg T-Junction and Kransvleikloof;
- N7: Upgrade from Melkbosstrand road intersection to Malmesbury;
- R27: Safety improvements and widening of structures near Keimoes;
- N9: Rehabilitation from Wolwefontein to Colesberg and new N1/N9 Interchange;
- Construction of pedestrian facilities in Ugu on the N2 between the Albersville Bridge and the Umtentweni Interchange;
- Construction of a dual carriageway through Tombo on the R61 between Mthatha and Port St Johns and a modal interchange. This project is located on the same stretch of R61 and entails the construction of a dual carriageway and community access roads.
Ladies and gentlemen,
SANRAL’s core business remains the delivery of high quality road infrastructure. The reality is that road users do make mistakes, and road infrastructure can play an important role in providing a forgiving road environment that reduces the chances of a serious injury or death, in the event of a crash.
We also have the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency (CBRTA) which is going to make ensure that all road transport users, be it passenger transport or freight, are able to go about their business in a safe and unrestrained manner.
We rely on law enforcement officers to enforce the law and to protect innocent passengers and road users.
It is for this reason that we expect a zero tolerance approach to any form of lawlessness during this festive season.
Law enforcement officers will only be able to achieve this if they perform their duties in a professional manner, apply the law fairly and treat all people in a nonpartisan way.
There has been an outcry from freight operators that they are experiencing an increase in truck hijackings; and that these are supposedly taken out of the country.
There is no other way for trucks to cross borders without making use of our roads and borders.
It is therefore important that law enforcement officers are vigilant and lookout for suspicious trucks or even drivers in distress as a person might be driving under duress of hijackers inside the vehicle.
Furthermore, as these hijackers might be armed and dangerous, we encourage officers to look out for each other and stay safe throughout this busy period.
We therefore urge all Road Transport users to make sure that their vehicles, be it taxi’s, trucks or buses, are serviced and in a good mechanical condition in order to avoid accidents and deaths of innocent people.
Whenever a bus, a taxi or a truck gets involved in a crash, it mostly involves a number of vehicles and passengers resulting in a lot of casualties and fatalities.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We have the RAF that has a Road Safety Unit, which has been established mainly to contribute to the reduction of road crashes on South African roads.
Since the beginning of the financial year, this unit has conducted more than 40 road safety activities in the country focusing on all road users – and vulnerable road users in particular.
Amongst others, activities included donation of scholar patrol uniforms to disadvantaged schools; bus and taxi driving skills training; conducting fatigue management operations; educating learners about road safety, involvement in interfaith prayer days, etc.
The Fund has also partnered with and supported other stakeholders with an interest in road safety.
The RAF has also partnered with the SANCO Development Institute in a pothole repair project that has seen 3 600 potholes repaired.
The project has also contributed to poverty alleviation in that it has employed 58 women and youth, which is in line with the RAF corporate social responsibility objectives.
During the 2014/15 festive season, the RAF will conduct several road safety activities in partnership with its sister agencies and other government entities.
In total, there will be approximately 12 activations in six provinces. These will include child restraint awareness programmes, fatigue management operations, defensive driving training for public transport and freight drivers, and ‘back to school’ road safety campaigns.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We also have The Administrative of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) Act, No. 46 of 1998, which was approved by Parliament in 1998 was, amongst others, created with the view to forge a closer and more effective and efficient link between enforcement and the adjudication process which is objective, transparent and fair.
AARTO Act, 1998 brings with it parity of fines which will encourage the road using public to take traffic offences and resulting fines much more seriously.
It also brings with it improved fine collection procedures and a revenue stream that will be used for improving road safety; as well as more convenient ways of selecting available options and payment of fines and more penalties for not exercising options within the prescribed time frames as set out therein.
Even if we launch the road safety campaign during the festive season, we need to continuously have awareness activities throughout the year.
One death is much too many on our roads. We are witnessing horrific crashes. People are being killed on our roads and this is affecting our economy.
We need to make a personal contribution towards saving lives this festive season by pledging to obey all traffic rules and regulations and thereby taking personal responsibility of our safety on our roads.
The ANC government is continuously intensifying the Road Safety Campaign. We therefore urge people to act responsibly and to obey the rules of the road.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Government is saying that “road safety is everyone’s business”. Let us save lives and make sure that our roads are safe.
As we are currently observing 16 days of activism against women and child abuse; I urge all law enforcement officers not to only focus on roadworthiness of vehicles and correctness of documents; but to look out for possible drug trafficking, human trafficking and other violations of women rights.
We cannot allow the transport industry to continue to perpetuate this evil that is destroying women and children in our society.
Let us work together and safe lives.
I thank you.
