By Akani Nkuna
While the Transport Department and its agencies can establish and enforce the laws of the road, ultimate responsibility for compliance lies with the public, according to Transport Deputy Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa.
“Road safety is not solely a government responsibility. It is a shared societal matter. By uniting all sectors, government, civil society, faith-based organisations, the Transport Department, public sector and law enforcement, we can together ensure that this festive season brings not just joy, but safety,” he said.
Hlengwa was addressing the portfolio committee on transport on Tuesday ahead of the festive season. The department and Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) tabled their “reimagined festive season plan” on road safety.
The deputy minister also raised the issue of consuming alcohol, with many drivers not obeying the drinking and driving laws.
RTMC CEO Makhosini Msibi told the meeting that the entity was fostering a culture of cooperation with others on ensuring safer roads.
“[We are working with] RAF. We are also ensuring that we lead from the front. Sanral will also be playing a critical role in terms of the monitoring of movements within these critical roads as well as the road safety activities,” he said.
A number of buses have been discontinued following inspections into their roadworthiness by the department and RTMC.
“[Before] the festive season, we have visited a number of bus depots because a large amount of people will be using the buses, so it is important that we look at the state and the road worthiness of the buses,” said Msibi.
He further said that the RTMC was focusing its efforts on key commencement points and strategic locations, including park stations.
“There will be a weekly monitoring system that we are going to be putting in place as well as putting a war room at the RTMC, where all provinces are going to deploy their law enforcers to then monitor… from a central point, so that the data that is gathered is also appropriate,” Msibi added.
The department has also prioritised key routes across the country due their historically high fatality rates over the past five years.
“… education and awareness has also played a critical role in terms of the campaigns that we have had, because we have realised that law enforcement cannot be divorced from education and awareness,” said Msibi.
A total of 1427 people died on the roads between 1 December last year and 11 January this year.
INSIDE POLITICS
