RTA Update: “Not a snowball’s chance in hell” -JPSA

The proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Act which will include a speed limits of 40km/h, 80km/h and 100km/h as well as being retested when a motorist wants to renew his driver’s licence, has been met with severe criticism.

Chairperson for Justice Project South Africa (JPSA) Howard Dembovsky has condemned the proposed changes harshly when the Record approached him for comment.

“We are going to submit a hefty document to the Department of Transport before the deadline for public comment which is on 11 June. This will contain our comments and recommendations,” said Dembovsky.

“There is a saying ‘desperate times call for desperate measures’ but we disagree. We say desperate times call for level heads, logical thinking and common sense, not knee jerk reactions by idiots faced with a problem trying to find a solution,” he said.

“People must begin to understand how ridiculous these proposals are.This is just a draft amendment and there is not a snowball’s chance in hell that this will become an actual law,” Dembovsky concluded.

The Automobile Association (AA) of South Africa has indicated that at the moment they do not want to comment since they are still busy studying the draft regulation.

Patric O’Leary the editor of Fleetwatch magazine said that trucks losing six hours on the road in a day will severely affect the economy.

Local residents were just as outraged.

Christian Gouws said “First off keep the speed limits as they are and enforce the law by taking on the people who are disobeying the general rules of the road. Sitting in traffic you regularly see taxis and other vehicles who would drive in oncoming traffic to avoid sitting in long lines of traffic. Enforce the road worthy tests better and take all vehicles that are not road worthy off the roads. Once these will be enforced you will start seeing results. I, however, think its a good idea banning heavy load vehicles between peak hour traffic on our roads.”

Rosten Hammond said “To change the speed limits is not an option. If we can make sure the roads are being used correctly by motorists, then changes will be seen. It is wise though to keep heavy load vehicles off the road during peak hours. Let us just hope that the decision of enforcing these new Acts is not given to someone who does not know what they are doing.”

Resident Alroy Gericke wrote on the Record’s Facebook page: “Haha haha! My dear country of anarchy. More rules by idiots that know nothing at all and refuses to learn.”

Another very vocal resident, Marietjie Taylor said the 40 km/h speed limit would not work due to residents’ already hurried lifestyles.

“Motorists will be frustrated and this will lead to more incidents of road rage. And how will they police this? They can not even police it as it is currently. It is also senseless to be retested when going for the renewal of your driver’s licence. This will open the floodgates for bribery and corruption,” said an infuriated Taylor.

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Also read: Outrage over traffic act amendment

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