VIJAY NAIDOO: Good Business Basics – Road carnage continues
There seems to be no interest in creating the capacity for policing moving violations such as overtaking on barrier lines, on blind rises etc.
As we approach the end of another National Transport Month, it may be useful to reflect on the seemingly never-ending carnage on our roads.
The reality is that our entire transport architecture, both private and public, is bedevilled by a toxic combination of poor regulation, almost non-existent enforcement, and rampant corruption.
The outcome of this is the flooding of our roads with unlicenced and/or corruptly licenced drivers, unroadworthy vehicles and the most appalling road manners and conduct.
Starting with the testing and issuing of driver’s licences, it is common cause that the system is riddled with corruption, with many testing station officials offering a veritable shopping list of ‘options’ for purchase.
Alarmingly, this extends to heavy goods vehicle licences as well – the results of which are being seen in the exponential increase in truck accidents over the past few years.
Apart from speeding, there seems to be little evidence of a comprehensive, integrated enforcement strategy.
Instead we get the irregular, unstructured road blocks, particularly at the beginning of holiday season, manned by senior provincial or national political luminaries exhorting us not to drink and drive, speed etc.
There seems to be no interest in creating the capacity for policing moving violations such as overtaking on barrier lines, on blind rises etc.
There also appears to be zero coordination between municipal/metro, provincial and Saps, when in fact greater alignment would act as a force multiplier to bring greater resources to bear on our road accident pandemic.
Poor enforcement protocols, abetted by corruption also results in the road worthiness of our fleets being severely compromised.
Hence we see 30 year old mini bus taxis scrapped (and paid for) under the taxi recapitalisation projects being miraculously ‘raised from the grave’ through the collective efforts of corrupt licencing and testing officials.
It is no surprise that our aggressive and devil-may-care driving styles mirror the national psyche where violence is the default reaction to most situations, but there is no effort to counter this by, for example, concerted driver education programmes or a zero-tolerance enforcement approach.
The zero-tolerance moniker has been bandied about ad nauseum, particularly around the scourge of driving under the influence of alcohol, but the ongoing delays and incompetence in blood testing protocols, and the limp-wristed approach to prosecutions by the prosecuting authorities has led to more infringing culprits getting off scot free than paying for their (often deadly) misdemeanors.
In 2018, it was estimated that the human and material cost of road accidents in the country was over R160bn, which translates into almost 3,5% of GDP.
It is therefore a no brainer that expending even 10% of this amount on a well-designed, strategically executed manner, would be worth the effort.
Sadly, as with most things in this country, there are too many people and companies benefiting from the situation to expect any realistic change.
Vijay Naidoo is the CEO of the Port Shepstone Business Forum. He writes in his personal capacity. The views expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram
