Road offenders must face severe penalties

File picture: Phando Jikelo / African News Agency

File picture: Phando Jikelo / African News Agency

Published Jan 18, 2019

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The portfolio committee on transport has voiced its disappointment about the high number of fatalities recorded on South African roads during the 2018 festive season.

Committee chairperson Dikeledi Magadzi said the death toll of 1612 was far too high, and called for a zero-tolerance approach on our roads, with severe punishment for those who break traffic rules.

“It is clear that something drastic ought to be done to reduce this number.”

Magadzi added that it was disturbing that a large number of people had died in accidents in this period as a result of recklessness by drivers of vehicles forming part of the public transport system.

Releasing the statistics on Wednesday, Minister of Transport Dr Blade Nzimande announced that the death toll rose to 1612, with KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape recording the highest and second-highest number of fatalities respectively.

Magadzi said the time was right to come up with new programmes to strengthen speed enforcement to ensure vehicles were roadworthy.

Furthermore, she said, there should be a zero-tolerance approach towards people arrested for drinking and driving.

“It is time that government entities and law enforcement agencies take ownership of what happens on the roads.

“Law enforcement operations on the roads should be enhanced, even if it means inconveniencing the road user.”

She said preparations for the Easter weekend should start now, and that hot spots for fatal accidents should be identified and prioritised in order to reduce accidents.

Sibongile Maputi

Parliament of South Africa

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