EMPD vows to uphold the law
Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department gives clarity on some questions asked by the Alberton Record in relation to drivers intentionally disobeying road signs and rules.
The EMPD division is in charge of providing services related to licensing, bylaw enforcement, traffic law enforcement and crime prevention in the City of Ekurhuleni.
The Alberton Record has noticed that during peak hours, EMPD officials sometimes remain inside their vehicles at traffic lights instead of helping with the traffic flow at dysfunctional traffic lights.
The Record forwarded this query to the City of Ekurhuleni to provide clarity.
According to EMPD media liaison officer Kobeli Mokheseng, if one spots EMPD officials inside a vehicle next to the traffic lights, then it is also part of the EMPD’s duties.
“They are there to observe the traffic flow. The process is called visibility.
“As the department of EMPD, we have three shifts happening during the day and night. The employees, before heading to the streets to help with crime prevention, first stand in a parade and be assigned the duties they are supposed to do during their shifts from the team supervisor,” said Mokhoseng.
“If a member of the public observes that the EMPD officers have been sitting for quite a long time in the vehicle without assisting the traffic flow, they have an obligation to go and ask the officers why they are not helping. If a bad response is given they should take all the details of the person, including of the car driven, and log a complaint against them,” Mokheseng explained.
Another daily traffic offence happens on the R59 on-ramp from Vereeniging’s side to join the Swartkoppies Road. These incidents horrify many drivers as some drivers create their own third lane from the R59 on-ramp onto Swartkoppies to make a right turn onto Swartkoppies Road.
They proceed to the front of the row by using the turn left-only lane and then push into the traffic to turn right onto Swartkoppies. In doing so, more often than not, near-accidents are caused and the traffic on the on-ramp is delayed because this also hinders the natural flow of traffic.
These drivers, when not given ‘right of way’ and can’t find a spot to push in, use the yellow lane on the bridge to make their way to the next traffic light and then cross the intersection in the yellow lane to push their way forward as they proceed onto Swartkoppies Road.
Mokhoseng told the Alberton Record they will closely monitor this matter and take necessary steps against drivers found on the stripped yellow demarcated side of the road.
The above statement was received on September 27. The Alberton Record has been monitoring this on-ramp from the R59 to Swartkoppies Road regularly and by the time of publishing, no EMPD officers were deployed to monitor the situation, or to fine offenders.
How to report EMPD officers?
• Call the City of Ekurhuleni’s anti-corruption hotline at 080 010 2201.
• On your mobile device, dial 112, then ask for the police’s anti-corruption squad. Alternatively, call 10111.
• A plaintiff can visit their local metro police precinct on weekdays between 08:00 and 15:30 and ask to talk with the precinct commander or a deputy/senior officer in charge who is present at that time.
• The city urges drivers to obey all the road rules and signs to minimise accidents on our roads.
• Drivers can report bad driving on 086 140 0800.
The Alberton Record took to the streets of Alberton to ask residents if the EMPD officers are fulfilling their duties and here is what they had to say:
