Twenty seven people nabbed in Cape Town street racing crackdown

Twenty seven people have been arrested in a clampdown on illegal street racing in Cape Town.

In some of the arrests, the traffic officers used high performance cars to stop three motorcyclists gunning it on a highway.

Community safety MMC JP Smith said there were several operations.

On 6 September in Sea Point, 35 vehicles were suspended for being unroadworthy.

On 10 September, during a race in the Bellville South and Century City areas, four were arrested for reckless and negligent driving and one for driving under the influence of alcohol.

The same day, “Ghost Squad” officers sped after three motorcyclists who whizzed past them on the N1 near Durban road.

They caught them on the M5, between Berkley Road and the N2.

They were charged with reckless and negligent driving.

Smith said they were caught in new high performance vehicles the Ghost Squad had acquired.

The Ghost Squad is known to melt into traffic unmarked to monitor possible contraventions and change driver behaviour when people don’t see a traffic department vehicle.

“Members of the squad went for advanced driving training so they are able to handle the vehicles safely at high speeds,” said Smith.

On Saturday, 19 people were arrested in the Mitchells Plain and Athlone areas.

Six were arrested for reckless and negligent driving, and 11 for driving under the influence of alcohol.

“It is absolutely mind-boggling that, despite the many deaths that have come about because of drunk driving and reckless and negligent driving, people still get behind the wheel and engage in this type of behaviour,” said Smith.

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