‘Zero tolerance for driver negligence’
Khoza said it was important that all road users play their role to minimise road fatalities.
Government will not tolerate drivers who continue to put the lives of other road users at risk.
KwaZulu-Natal Legislature Ugu District Champion, MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza said this on Tuesday during an intense roadblock on the N2 in Park Rynie under Umdoni Municipality.
Khoza called on law enforcement authorities to act decisively in dealing with motorists who fail to comply with the rules of the road.
She said it was important that all road users play their role to minimise road fatalities.
There have been a number of gruesome accidents on the South Coast with the most recent being the one which claimed six lives during a head-on collision on the R61 near the Umtamvuna Bridge.
Khoza, who is also the KZN MEC for Social Development said as the festive season nears, they wish to see no loss of lives as a result of negligence by road users.
“The contributing factor to the fatal crashes resulting in the loss of lives is that of vehicles which are not roadworthy and drivers who drink and drive. When people adhere to all rules of the road, we will realise our mission of being an accident-free province. We want to see all road users comply with all the laws and traffic police officers should show no mercy to those who deliberately ignore the rules.
We are grateful to the Road Traffic Inspectorate for their commitment in dealing with transgressions on roads. The fact that we find few people not complying is an indication that our traffic officers are working hard,” she said.
She added that it was critical that motorists be encouraged to make alternative transport arrangements if under the influence of alcohol.
Khoza said public transport operators had an obligation to protect the lives of passengers all the time, adding that will only happen when all transport is roadworthy.
During the roadblock, over 20 drivers were found to have failed to observe the rules of the road, failure to display licence discs, failure to carry driver’s licences and others found to be operating unroadworthy vehicles.
For the roadblock and to rollout Transport Month, Khoza was joined by Ugu District Municipality Speaker of Council (Sizwe Ngcobo), Mayor of Umdoni Municipality (Sibongile Khathi) and Umdoni Municipality’s Speaker of Council (Mbali Cele-Luthuli), along with multi-pronged enforcement agencies.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Fever’s Facebook page
