City of Joburg MMCs for Transport Kenny Kunene and Public Safety Dr Mgcini Tshwaku have warned misbehaving motorists.
The two officials launched the city’s Easter Holiday safety campaign during an operation on the M2 highway next to the Cleveland offramp on Friday.
Tshwaku said no unroadworthy vehicles will be allowed on the streets of Joburg during the Easter holidays, saying police will be strict on this to ensure safety.
“We will be strict on unroadworthy vehicles and we are ready to impound vehicles that are unsafe. For those driving drunk and with expired vehicles and licences, we have a truck on stand by to help motorists with their permits and licences. They must pay because the City needs the money to pay for services and guns which some of our officers do not have,” he said.
JMPD acting Chief of Police Sam Sethagu warned motorists to be safe on the roads.
This is as holidaymakers are expected to start travelling to various destinations ahead of the Easter holidays.
“Every year, the lives of vulnerable people are cut short due to road crashes especially during Easter festive season. The proportion of these lives are those of our pedestrians. It has been recorded already that for the past two years, with the statistics that we have, the majority of the fatalities that we have on our roads are pedestrians followed by passengers and drivers due to various factors.
Previous statistics indicate that road accidents and fatalities spike during this time with last year’s figures indicating that more than 225 people died in 185 accidents over the four-day Easter long weekend.
This was an almost 40% increase compared to the number of deaths during the same period in 2022.
Sethagu urged his troops to enforce strict laws during the campaign.
“We urge you to seriously enforce our laws to the fullest during this Easter period, leaving no stone unturned. No overloaded vehicle will go beyond the borders of COJ without being impounded. No unroadworthy vehicle should leave COJ. No pedestrian should be allowed on our freeways and no pedestrian should be found jaywalking on the streets of Johannesburg. No person should be found drinking in public and no person should be found drinking alcohol in any vehicle. No passenger should be found without a seat belt.” he added.
According to the recent figures on gender classification, there was a decrease in female fatalities from 28% in 2022 to 19% in 2023 and male fatalities increased from 67% in 2022 to 70%. Most of these are young aspiring professionals whose careers are beginning to shine.
Kunene warned against those who want to take advantage and rob people on the free ways.
“Those who are taking advantage of traffic and rob people will face the wrath of JMPD. No one will be spared. Criminality will not be allowed in the City of Johannesburg. Let us behave ourselves,” he said.
The Star