Transport minister, Blade Nzimande, recently presented the 2018 Festive Season Road Safety statistics.
While the majority of the presentation focused on the fatalities seen during the festive season – and their primary causes – Nzimande also focused on some of the interventions his department would be looking at introducing to curb accidents.
“The Department of Transport and the Road Traffic Management Corporation will be meeting next month to discuss further urgent interventions that need to be implemented to reduce the carnage on our roads,” Nzimande said
“These discussions will centre on key policy interventions that are required to strengthen traffic law enforcement throughout the country”.
According to Nzimande, these interventions will include amongst others:
- The implementation of the AARTO Act and the demerit point system;
- The re-classification of all road traffic offences to Schedule 5 of the Criminal Procedure Act. This includes quest for a mandatory minimum sentence for ‘drunken driving, inconsiderate, reckless and negligent driving;
- The engagements with the South African Police Services and the Justice Department on the conditions for the granting of bail particularly on motorists caught speeding;
- The rollout the road safety curriculum at basic education level is also underway, with the curriculum having been finalised.
- The implementation plan for the introduction of the driving school instructor course. The South African Qualification Authority registered this groundbreaking qualification in December last year. The RTMC will work closely with driving schools to improve safety on the roads by ensuring the production of competent drivers.
Nzimande said that his department would also ‘seek an urgent engagement’ with counterparts from neighbouring countries to discuss how South Africa can strengthen cross-border transportation of goods and people.
Source: BusinessTech
