The Kwazulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Mr Bheki Ntuli has today (1 October 2019) launched the annual October Transport Month program in Umlazi, Durban where he promised to crack the whip on motorists who do not obey the rules of the road.
The launch was kicked off by a taxi ride in the morning from the Durban City Centre to Umlazi Mega City where the MEC was accompanied by the Mayor of Ethekwini, Councillor Mxolisi Kaunda and the Deputy Chairperson of SANTACO in KZN, Sifiso Mthethwa to engage with commuters and operators.
The MEC and his guests proceeded to conduct a blitz at Umlazi Mega City to engage with patrons on safety issues around the area. He then proceeded to a multidisciplinary roadblock and ended off at a stakeholder’s engagement at Eyadini Lounge.
During the roadblock, which was manned by the Durban Metro Police, SAPS, RTI, immigration services and Home Affairs, approximately 100 vehicles were stopped, four were suspected warrants. One motorist was suspected to be an illegal immigrant. Upon being stopped he was asked for his documents, which he could not produce but he was later released when he was confirmed legal. Other motorists were fined for various offences such as failure to put on a seat belt, no drivers licence, failure to carry a licence, non-display of licence plates, smooth tyres and unlicensed vehicles.
Addressing the stakeholders, SANTACO, KWANABUCO, PRASA, Interfaith and the leadership of the law enforcement fraternity, MEC Ntuli outlined the entire transport month programme, which in the main will focus on road safety education, law enforcement in key hotspots in the province, infrastructure development and progress assessments on key projects around the province. Key to infrastructure development is the creation of sustainable jobs which will improve the lives of young people, women and the disabled.
More emphasis was made on road safety, hence the MEC also announced on the rollout of Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (AARTO), which will assist in dealing with lawlessness on the roads by penalizing offenders through the demerit system.
Ntuli said that these programs were not limited to October but will resonate even beyond.
“With these programs, we hope to carry these messages throughout the month of October and beyond. We hope to keep this campaign going until the festive season. We want to intensify our efforts so that all our efforts are felt across the province. We want to also remind people that road safety is a collective responsibility,” said Ntuli.
KZN October Transport Month Launch 2019 https://t.co/xyjBfW9wV2 #ArriveAlive #TransportMonthLaunch @KZNTransport pic.twitter.com/88rVoE3cs0
— Arrive Alive (@_ArriveAlive) October 2, 2019