Operation Ke Molao is yielding positive results that the Gauteng Department of Community Safety and the Road Traffic Management Corporation wanted to achieve.
Ke Molao, which means, It’s the Law, was launched with the aim of dealing with lawlessness on the roads and to reduce the scourge of road accidents.
Spokesperson for the department, Thapelo Moiloa, said the operation was not a short-term initiative that was targeting taxis. “Our focus is on vehicles on our roads, but we have a firm focus on all modes of public transport,” said Moiloa.
He also mentioned that the operation would continue until such time that authorities felt that motorists were obeying all the rules of the road.
On 18 May, 20 taxi drivers were arrested for driving without public driver’s permits. On the same day, more than 130 motorists received fines for different offences including failing to wear seatbelts, using cellphones while driving, driving vehicles with various defects including smooth tyres, defective lights and wipers.
One hundred and one unroadworthy taxis were impounded because of various vehicle defects, and for operating unlicensed vehicles and failing to display number plates.
Moiloa said traffic authorities have adopted an uncompromising stance on impounded vehicles and insist that all outstanding fines be paid before vehicles were released. He added that investigations were also conducted on the impounded vehicles to establish, among others, if the vehicles were involved in the commissions of crime or were involved in accidents for which the drivers were not held accountable.
Unmarked traffic vehicles will also be deployed in an effort to identify motorists who engage in reckless and negligent behaviour such as driving in yellow lanes, overtaking on barrier lines and showing disregard for the rules of the road.
