CAPE TOWN - As the Western Cape government gears up for the festive season, MEC for Transport and Public Works Daylin Mitchell has launched the 2021/22 traffic safety plan and sent a warning to habitual offenders.
Officials at all of the province’s traffic centres have been “briefed on the appropriate reaction” when they stop 500 vehicles/drivers identified as the province’s “hot list” of habitual offenders, Mitchell said at the launch of the festive season traffic safety plan at Gene Louw Traffic College in Brackenfell on Monday.
The list has been identified through technology such as the Average Speed Over Distance (ASOD) camera network system.
The list has been categorised into three main groups – ASOD speed offences, unlicensed motor vehicles and Avanza long-distance travelling – including:
- Vehicles that have been found speeding more than 10 times during the 21-month period between March 3, 2020, and November 12, 2021
- Vehicles with licences that expired more than 18 months ago (various extensions have been allowed for driver licence renewal, but no extension has been given for vehicle licence renewal)
- Vehicles being used as public transport without permits and registrations.
The launch also saw the graduation of 86 student traffic officers who will be deployed at traffic centres across the province.
“We look forward to seeing how every member of this class translates the excellent training they have received into action – action which will save lives and make our roads safer places,” Mitchell said.
The provincial Transport Department reported 132 road deaths during the 2020/21 festive season and 157 deaths in the 2019/20 festive season.
The City of Cape Town reported on Monday that over the past week the traffic service had issued 67 738 fines, arrested 79 suspects and impounded 184 vehicles.
A further 30 drivers were taken into custody for driving under the influence of alcohol and 11 for reckless and negligent driving.
IOL