Traffic law enforcement authorities are set to go out on a massive drive from tomorrow (Friday May 13) to deal with lawlessness on the roads in a bid to reduce crashes, injuries and deaths on Gauteng roads.
The clampdown, codenamed “Operation Ke Molao” (it’s the law) will target all hazardous routes and behaviours that results in preventable road collisions. Officers will be out in full force in all the metros and municipalities and there will be zero tolerance.
Commuters are urged to exercise patience during this period as the clampdown might cause traffic delays on some routes. The operation is intended to save lives.
Driving on yellow lanes, reckless and negligent driving and vehicle un-roadworthiness will be severely punished as authorities seek to make Gauteng roads safe to travel for all road users. Offending drivers will be immediately arrested and charged and vehicles that are not fit to be on the road will be impounded.
A five year statistical analysis by the Road Traffic Management Corporation has shown that crashes tend to increase in the month of May. Most crashes happen between Friday, Saturday and Monday.
Statistics also indicate that there has been an increase in the number of un-roadworthy vehicles on Gauteng roads from 229 064 in June 2014 to 236 572 in June 2015.
The MEC for Community Safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane last week called a meeting in which she warned public transport operators to expect zero tolerance on the roads as the authorities were no longer prepared to accept recklessness and disregard of road rules.
She warned operators to take responsibility to ensure driver and vehicle fitness.
“This is provided in the section 49 of the Road Traffic Act 93 of 1996. What I have observed is that most of them turn a blind on this provision and that put the lives of the passengers at risk,” the MEC warned at the time.
Statistics shared at the meeting indicated that 857 people had died on Gauteng roads from 2013.