Komphela to clampdown on traffic violations

The MEC for police, roads and transport, Butana Khomphela, says the Free State provincial government is committed to the implementation of the objectives of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011 to 2020, which seeks to reduce road fatalities in the world.

Komphela said traffic officials will continue to target drivers exceeding speed limits, drinking and driving, dangerous overtaking and overloading. He said drivers speaking on their cellphones, not wearing their safety belts and those driving unroadworthy roads will face the wrath of the law.

“I promise the Free Staters that our campaign did not stop after Easter; we shall persist with the campaign 24/7 for 365 days of the year and we will maintain high visibility of transport and traffic officers on all our roads and taxi ranks,” said Komphela.

Komphela said part of the campaign was to focus mainly on public transport as crashes involving public transport vehicles have the potential to claim many lives at a go.

He said the department’s officials have decided to move from area to area dealing with challenges facing public transport while at the same time conducting road safety education and routine law enforcement.

“During the operation which took place in QwaQwa for three days we issued up to 475 fines amounting to a total of R168 601 and also impounded 8200 vehicles,” added Komphela.

He noted that taxi drivers in QwaQwa and Kroonstad operate without licenses or permits, vehicles are not operating on designated routes and drivers are overloading and drive with un-roadworthy vehicles.

“We have dealt with such challenges without mercy and have impounded vehicles loading passengers at hiking spots, or those who were operating on wrong routes and also arrested drivers transporting commuters without operating licences.”

“It is against the law to hire a foreign national to transport members of the public without an RSA professional drivers permit and the taxi owners should stop doing it. To make sure that the law took its course, we have impounded vehicles that were driven by foreign nationals.”

Komphela said it is unfortunate that there is still a high level of non-compliance with the general rules of the road. He said traffic officials had to issue 192 fines in three hours during the operation to drivers who were not wearing their safety belts.

“Many families live in grief and we must do something to arrest the situation. Stand up and be counted because it’s a responsibility of each and every South African to stop the carnage on our roads,” concluded Komphela.