Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison Pat Ngomane have lauded traffic officers in the province for the successes made over one weekend.
At least 64 motorists were arrested for different violations in different operations held throughout the province. 39 of these motorists were arrested for drunken driving and 23 for speeding. The drivers were arrested from Friday, December 8 till Sunday, December 10.
The highest speed was recorded on Saturday, December 9 on the N3 Road when Maxwell Mazibuko drove at 176 km/h in a Mercedes Benz SUV on a 120 km/h zone. He was granted R1 500 bail and will appear again at the Balfour Magistrate Court on 20 December 2017.
On Friday, December 8, Makhosonke Zungu was arrested on the N4 Road driving at 172 km/h in a VW Golf 4 on a 120 km/h zone. He was granted bail of R500 and has appeared on Tuesday, December 12 at the Nelspruit Magistrate Court.
2891 fines were also issued to motorists for reckless and negligent driving, failing to produce driving licenses and other appropriate driving documents, overloading, using cell phones whilst driving and driving vehicles with defects such as cracked windscreen, malfunctioning indicator lights, worn out tyres and invisible number plates. 77 of the fines were issued to motorists who overtook on a barrier line.
Over and above that, traffic officers also discontinued 21 vehicles for not being roadworthy. The motor vehicles included light motor vehicles, busses, mini busses and light delivery vehicles.
MEC Ngomane says it is high time that bad drivers get the harsh punishment that they deserve for their reckless behaviour on the road. He says that drunken driving, speeding and dangerous overtaking were among the factors that contributed massively to road crashes.
He praised the officers saying their continued hard work and dedication will assist to bring errant drivers to book thereby saving lives. He encourages them to carry on with the same vigour in order to impact positively on government’s road safety initiatives especially this festive season.
“This should be the order of the day and motorists must not escape the law if they fail to obey the rules of the road. We must create an environment where motorists will fear to commit offences; in this way, we will have fewer crashes on our roads caused by human error,” he said.
The MEC also pleads with municipalities and other security agencies to work together with the department in order to reduce road crashes.
He once more reiterates his call to road users to respect traffic rules. He says that communities must also play their part by reporting bad driving to authorities so that action is taken against wrong doers.
“To those who will be driving, don’t drink and drive, buckle up, do not speed, do not use your cell phone whilst driving, rest every two hours, respect other road users and be patient whilst on the road,” he concluded.
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