Cape Town – In spite of repeated warnings, stationary vehicles continue to be a headache for law enforcement officials trying to safeguard motorists on the N2, the City of Cape Town said on Sunday.
The city was concerned about the continued high number of stationary vehicles being spotted along the N2 highway in spite of numerous appeals and warnings advising that this was not safe and hampered efforts to safeguard motorists, mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said in a statement.
“Safety on the N2 has been a priority for some time, amid ongoing sporadic criminal incidents affecting motorists. In a bid to arrest the situation, the city has joined forces with the Western Cape government, the SA Police Service, and the SA National Roads Agency Limited to form a N2 priority committee,” he said.
The committee co-ordinated the collective response to ensure high visibility on the N2 and appropriate reaction to any incidents that may occur. This included a weekly retrospective on deployment levels, incidents, and the nature of these incidents.
“Between 21 September and 18 October 2015, 11 crime-related incidents were recorded on the N2 and R300. This included two robberies, four attempted robberies, two incidents of stone-throwing, a road rage incident, and the recovery of two bodies along the N2, between the R300 and Jakes Gerwel Drive,” Smith said.
Cameras along the N2 detected 949 stationary vehicles – an average of 237 per week. There was a definite upward trend in the number of stationary vehicles on the N2 in the past month. Nearly half of the vehicles left before officers could respond.
Of the incidents where officers were able to engage with the motorists, 30 percent reported mechanical failures, 17 percent had run out of petrol, 18 percent had flat tyres, and 10 percent stopped to use their cellphone, he said.
During the period under review, city traffic officers issued fines with a total value of over R100,000, while the Western Cape government issued fines adding up to more than R50 000 to motorists who had stopped along the freeway. It was illegal to stop along freeways, unless in an emergency or because of a breakdown.
“Stopping on the freeway unless you absolutely have to makes you vulnerable to attack and I would appeal to motorists to please keep moving and to have their vehicles serviced regularly to minimise the risk of a breakdown,” Smith said.
On Friday October 16, members of the metro police camera response unit conducted their latest “bait operation” on the N2 between the R300 and Mew Way. Soon after stopping along the side of the road, three suspects approached the unmarked vehicle. One of them smashed the driver’s-side window with a brick and tried to rob the officers. Other officers hiding nearby moved in and arrested two of the suspects on charges of attempted robbery and malicious damage to property.
“This is just another example of how quickly criminals move in on stationary vehicles and just another reason why it is so important for motorists to avoid stopping along the N2 if possible. We need residents to work with us in order to ensure a safe city,” Smith said.
African News Agency
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