Pretoria - If you’re a motorist who always adheres to the stipulated speed limit, obeys road rules and has never had a traffic offence ticket, then you could find yourself with extra cash in your pocket – that is if you live and drive in KwaZulu-Natal.
This is after that province’s transport department set up a task team to monitor the feasibility of the Western Cape’s initiative to reward good drivers.
If the campaign, which was launched with much fanfare by the Western Cape’s transport department last year, is a success, then the KZN department will not hesitate in implementing it.
Department spokesman, Kwanele Ncalane, said the campaign – Safely Home Road Safety Reward – was a great initiative that needed to be applauded.
“We’ve set up a task team this side that is going to meet with their Western Cape transport counterparts to get feedback on how the project has gone.
“They will discuss the successes, challenges and the experiences they’ve had since it came into place,” he said, adding that the transport officials were expected to meet after the festive season.
The campaign began when Western Cape Transport MEC Robin Carlisle handed over a R25 000 cheque to Cape Town motorist Andrew Cupido, rewarding him for driving well.
The initiative is part of a behavioural economics technique aimed at establishing a culture of obeying road rules by promoting an identity of responsible road users.
Carlisle said the campaign was initiated to encourage safe driving, change motorists’ road behaviour and decrease road deaths.
Explaining the process, Carlisle said motorists were randomly selected from the province’s database of 1.6 million licensed drivers.
Using an internet-based programme, officials from Carlisle’s department draw 20 numbers and find the corresponding numbers on the traffic and licence eNatis database.
Some of the criteria which finalists have to meet include being fine-free for at least 24 days when their name is selected, the vehicle must be licensed in the province, the driver must have no outstanding warrants and the driver must be a South African citizen with a valid licence.
Ncalane said the KZN department supported any initiative that sought to reduce road carnage, adding that they would give the campaign serious consideration once their team reported back. - Pretoria News Weekend