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Transport Dept wants 24-hour visibility, promises to fix ‘cool drink phenomenon’
The department is aiming to implement the 24/7 shift system in 2025.
A general view of metro police, Saps and traffic officers in Cape Town. Picture: Gallo Images/Ziyaad Douglas
The Department of Transport (DoT) says it plans to increase visibility on South Africa’s roads by deploying traffic officials on a 24-hour basis.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy and her deputy, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, briefed the media on Monday regarding the budget and priority projects for the 2024/2025 financial year.
24/7 shift system
During the briefing, Hlengwa revealed that the Department of Transport plans to introduce a “24-hour, seven-day-a-week, 365-days-a-year” system for traffic law enforcement across the country, focusing particularly on high accident-prone zones.
The deputy minister told the media the department was aiming to implement the 24/7 shift system by 31 March 2025.
“It is only Western Cape and the National Traffic Police which currently has that intervention in place and that remains a priority for us,” he said on Monday.
He said it was crucial that all provinces fast track processes to obtain approval for the implementation of the shift system to ensure “visibility of officers on the road daily and at all hours”.
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The department will continue to recruit and train personnel for the programme.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) will get R196.9 million to implement the department’s road safety strategy.
Hlengwa further stated that the department aims to address fraud and corruption related to driver’s licenses, vehicle roadworthiness, and the “cool drink phenomenon”.
“It’s a transactional corruption between citizen drivers and law enforcement officers, we need to deal with all of that in the strategies that the department has in place,” the minister added.
Commuters paying more for transport
Earlier, Creecy noted there was a “disconnect” between the department’s goals and “the realities of our transport system”.
“Our transport sector is not operating as either an effective economic facilitator or as a much-needed social service,” she said.
The minister revealed that a Stats SA report found that the declining availability of railway services and damage to infrastructure has forced many households to rely on alternative and more expensive methods of transport.
“If you read that survey… it suggests that the average household is paying double for transport than what they were paying prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.”
This was also affected by the rising cost of fuel.
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She added that the survey also indicated that citizens were spending twice as much time commuting to and from work.
Despite the challenges of infrastructure damage and cable theft, Creecy assured the public that the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has been making progress in reopening passenger rail lines.
“28 out of the 40 priority lines are now fully operational and as of March this year, 256 stations are fully functional in cities across the country.
“Continuous work is being done to rehabilitate and open up more strategic commuter corridors. This will ensure that the public can rely on safe, secure, punctual, and affordable public rail services that will not hinder their participation in the economy.”
Underspending
Creecy further emphasised that priority will be given to improving the governance of the DoT and its entities, such as the Road Accident Fund (RAF), in the current financial year.
“The efficacy of the department’s entities in fulfilling their stated mandates will also be assessed, and reforms such as addressing adverse audit findings and the timeous payment of outstanding invoices will be implemented.”
The department and its entities’ underspending on road maintenance and construction will receive “immediate attention”.
“In a country where citizens must daily navigate the hazards of potholes, it is unconscionable that we are returning money to National Treasury,” Creecy concluded.
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