Port Elizabeth - Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality have launched a Metro Police ghost squad to curb traffic law violations.
The metro's head of safety and security, John Best, said on Thursday that the municipality hoped to reclaim its roads from lawlessness and the general disregard for traffic laws with the launch of a duly authorized Metro Police ghost squad.
Best was commenting after a covert Metro Police unit, using unmarked vehicles that are fully equipped to record traffic violations, took to the metro's streets on Wednesday.
"The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) first had to approve the unit, which took months, and the officers were trained to operate the on-board cameras effectively, to avoid legal loopholes for transgressors.
“Within three hours of starting, officers pulled over an overloaded taxi and the driver was charged for contravening regulation 233.1 (b) of the National Road Traffic Act which means he must now answer for his inconsiderate driving and overloading the vehicle.This means the vehicle was overloaded with an unbelievable 27 children," said Best.
The ghost squad has four vehicles and the Metro Police have one covert traffic department vehicle, which brings the tally of unmarked vehicles in the metro to five.