Better roads reported

The roads were better this Easter as motorists were more cautious, says the metro police. The strong focus on road safety is expected to continue.
THE police had a zero tolerance rule for offenders on Joburg’s roads over the long Easter weekend, and made a total of 296 arrests for drunken driving.

JMPD officials were out in full force ensuring safety on the roadsJMPD officials were out in full force ensuring safety on the roadsThis is according the spokesman for the Johannesburg metro police department (JMPD), Wayne Minnaar. “The situation was a little bit better as compared to last year,” he said.

The JMPD ran a series of roadblocks throughout the holidays on the city’s main roads. Though the official statics of roads accidents have not yet been released, Minnaar said that this Easter was better as many motorists were more cautious.

His sentiments were shared by the Road Traffic Management Corporation, which commended motorists on Saturday for not speeding and for driving sober. Only isolated incidents of speeding were reported.

In one case, a motorcyclist was caught driving at 209 kilometres an hour in a 120km/h zone near Olifantsfontein on Saturday. The biker was taken to the Midrand police station by the Gauteng Traffic Police, and was arrested, according to the Arrive Alive website. It also reports that 40 people were arrested for reckless and negligent driving since the start of Easter.

Arrive Alive also quotes the spokesman of the Road Traffic Management Corporation, Ashraf Ismail, as saying that the majority of motorists complied with road rules and that harsh action was taken against offenders.

Ismail said more than 50 cars were impounded in Gauteng over the Easter weekend. “We’d like to thank and appreciate the efforts of all the road users. The vast majority of them complied with the message and they continue to do so.”

Minister Sbu Ndebele is launchingMinister Sbu Ndebele is launching a ten-year road safety campaignAlso impressed with the general behaviour of motorists was the minister of transport, Sbu Ndebele, who thanked motorists for acting responsibly. The minister reaffirmed his department’s commitment to reducing carnage on the roads, and said the high presence of traffic officers would continue.

Ndebele’s ministry will launch a 10-year road safety campaign called Think Pedestrian on 11 April at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory in Houghton to promote pedestrian safety.

The campaign is a global initiative driven by the United Nations. With the slogan, “Together we can save millions of lives,” it is aimed at mobilising all nations to unite in promoting road safety.

Southern African Development Community countries are part of the initiative. It will be piloted in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape, led by Ndebele. It is endorsed by Eqstra, Fleet Management and Logistics, and the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory.