MBOMBELA – Driver and vehicle fitness are some of the important elements of enhancing road safety and subsequently reducing injuries and fatalities on the road, this is according to Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC, Mr Vusi Shongwe.
Shongwe’s comments were prompted by week long operations that led to the impounding of 247 vehicles which include 23 mini-buses, one bus and 223 other makes of vehicles. Some of the vehicles were impounded due to overloading, worn out tyres and falsified documentation and others. Further 160 vehicles were discontinued and they include 103 light motor vehicles, nine buses and nine mini-buses. The week-long operations across the whole province were from May 5 to 11.
Shongwe commended the traffic officials saying vehicles which are not roadworthy poses danger to other road users. He has further called on vehicle owners and transport operators to ensure that they prioritize road safety by ensuring that their vehicles are roadworthy at all times.
“Public transport operators must make it their priority to ensure vehicle and driver fitness at all times and not wait to be stopped by law enforcement officers,” Shongwe said.
The operations also saw one driver being arrested for driving under the influence of liquor while another suspect was arrested for driving at 195 kilometres per hour in a 120 kilometres per hour zone on N4 Road near Middelburg. The suspect, Mr JF Joubert, has appeared in the Middelburg Magistrate Court on May 12 where he pleaded guilty for excessive speeding. He was subsequently fined R15 000.
Shongwe has also applauded law enforcement officers for arresting a police officer, Thokozani Zungu who has since been charged with reckless and or negligent driving, failing to stop after an accident and driving under the influence of alcohol. Zungu was arrested last week Friday when he was involved in a collision with three vehicles on R40 Road between White River and Nelspruit. At the time of the accident, the suspect was driving a state vehicle.
Shongwe bemoaned Zungu’s actions saying that police officers are supposed to be custodians of law and order and are not supposed to do the opposite. He said Zungu’s actions undermine the good work that other committed law enforcement officers are doing and he must therefore face the consequences of his irresponsible actions.
Zungu has appeared in White River Magistrate Court yesterday and was not asked to plead. The case has been postponed to July 30, 2014.
Meanwhile, Mpumalanga traffic officers have arrested 24 suspects in April for various traffic offences which include among others driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless and negligent driving and excessive speeding. The officers have also stopped 115 196 vehicles in various operations that included normal road block operations across the province.
