More than 5 OOO traffic fines issued last weekend

Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe has commended traffic officers for showing continued dedication and commitment towards making sure that they leave no stone unturned on the roads from the beginning of the year until the end.

Shongwe made the remarks after traffic officers issued more than 5000 fines for various traffic offences over the weekend during various operations that took place across the province.

These operations are expected to assist with visibility of law enforcement on the road in order to reduce road crashes and ensure general compliance with traffic regulations.

According to Shongwe, 247 vehicles were impounded while 180 vehicles were discontinued as they were not road worthy. Nine mini buses and five busses were also discontinued. 45108 vehicles were stopped and tested during the operations.

“The highest speed recorded over the past week was on N3 Road in Balfour as a motor cycle driver recorded 228 kilometres per hour in 120 kilometres per hour zone. The suspect will appear in Balfour Magistrate Court on 30 January 2014,” he added.

The MEC applauded traffic officials and the police for the role that they continue to play in ensuring that crime is prevented and our roads are safer.

He has called on community members to assist the government to curb reckless and negligent driving by reporting to traffic authorities.

“Whilst we acknowledge our law enforcement agencies for their continued efforts to deal with lawlessness on our roads, we also need to work to enhance safety on our roads”.

“We need to work harder to eliminate the unnecessary crashes in order to save more lives on roads. We cannot succeed on our own; we need communities to work with us by among others reporting bad drivers and spread road safety messages”.

“Road users are warned to obey traffic regulations on our roads to ensure that there is a reduction of accidents in the province,” concluded Shongwe.