People who speed and those driving under the influence of alcohol should take heed of Transport Minister Dipuo Peters’ order for traffic law enforcement officers to “show no mercy” against transgressors.
The minister has instructed officers to dish out hefty traffic fines and arrest traffic law violators for negligent and reckless driving, as well as those who drive faster than the speed limit.
This is part of government’s bid to reduce road fatalities across the country, especially in this busy period when people travel between provinces.
Gauteng Road Transport Management Corporation (RTMC) spokesperson Simon Zwane said that in the week leading up to Friday, the RTMC recorded 45 deaths across the country, compared with 120 in the same period last year.
A total of 950 people were arrested in roadblocks across Gauteng between Thursday and Friday night, police said yesterday.
The roadblocks were set up on all major routes leading out of the province as part of Operation Paseka ahead of the long weekend, said Lieutenant Kay Makhubela.
Several vehicles that had been reported stolen were also recovered.
The N1 from Gauteng to Limpopo – used by thousands of ZCC congregants on their way to Moria outside Polokwane – was the busiest motorway in the country.
According to transport department spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi, most of the heavy traffic was experienced at the toll gates between Pretoria and Polokwane.
After the long weekend, Peters will release the road death toll for this season.
The Easter weekend death toll has fluctuated over the past four years, with 217 road fatalities recorded in 2012, 241 in 2013, 193 in 2014 and 287 last year.
Peters was adamant that this number had to go down this year. Strict traffic policing, roadblocks, roadside vehicle testing and patrols were some of the measures put in place to help ensure the safety of travellers.