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The driver of a bus belonging to Mhla Ba Tswana Bus Company in the North West Province was yesterday sentenced in the Matatiele Magistrates Court to R15 000 or 18 months imprisonment, of which R5 000 or six months imprisonment was suspended. Reuben Keilelmang (42 years) was found guilty for travelling at a speed of 101 kilometres per hour in a 60 kilometre per hour zone. His reason for speeding was that the speedometer was not working.

Meanwhile, whilst KwaZulu-Natal Transport Department officers were busy arresting pedestrians on freeways yesterday in an effort to reduce the high number of pedestrian deaths on the province's roads, three pedestrians were killed in the city of Pietermaritzburg when a driver of a Ford car apparently suffered an epileptic fit and collided into them. The Transport Department has consulted with the South African Police Service (SAPS) on this matter for a background check on the history of this driver in order to initiate the administrative process to determine whether in terms of the Road Traffic Act, this person is suitable to continue holding a driving licence. In terms of the Road Traffic Act, certain medical conditions such as epilepsy, diabetes and certain others, prevent a driver from holding a driving licence.

69 pedestrians were arrested in the Durban region and 20 in Pietermaritzburg as part of this special operation targeting pedestrian unlawfulness yesterday. Of the 185 people killed on KwaZulu-Natal roads since 1 December (as compared to 293 for the festive season last year), 101 are pedestrians, 51 passengers and 33 are drivers. Of this figure, 108 people have been killed on municipal streets, 29 on provincial roads, 24 on national roads and 24 on district roads.

Also, since the installation of the traffic cameras at high accident frequency areas such as Van Reenen's Pass, Pietermaritzburg by-pass and Ashburton, there have been no fatalities recorded at these locations for this festive season.

With traffic volumes having peaked at almost 4 000 vehicles per hour (the highest compared to previous years), KwaZulu-Natal Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) officers have charged motorists for more than 45 000 various traffic offences of which 275 drivers were arrested for drunk driving (as compared to 71 for the entire festive season last year), 29 164 for speeding offences, 1 595 for seatbelts, and 746 for driving licence offences since 1 December. 295 people have appeared at the Road Side Court at Cato Ridge, mostly for speeding offences. In the past 24 hours the highest fine issued at this court was R4 500 to a Gauteng driver travelling in a BMW at a speed of 156 kilometres per hour in a 120 kilometre per hour zone.

Meanwhile, the clampdown on public transport vehicles by the Public Transport Enforcement Unit (PTEU), the only unit of its kind in the country that specifically targets vehicles such as buses, taxis, bakkies and trucks, has yielded much fruit with only one fatal bus crash reported in the province since the start of the festive season.

Operation Juggernaut commenced on 9 November in KwaZulu-Natal as a pre-clean-up operation to the festive season. To date more than 152 000 vehicles have been stopped and checked, 1 190 drivers have been arrested for offences ranging from drinking and driving, speeding and reckless/negligent driving, 2 624 vehicles were found to be unlicensed, 2 303 vehicles overloaded, 3 759 vehicles with defective tyres and 1 563 vehicles were taken off the roads for being in an unroadworthy condition.

KwaZulu-Natal Transport MEC, S'bu Ndebele, has reiterated his call for all road users to exercise extreme caution as we head into the New Year. "We are now entering the 'party phase' of the festive season with massive celebrations all along the province. This is usually a period of excessive drinking. Party-goers are warned that the frequency of alcohol roadblocks and other enforcement operations will be increased in anticipation of the tendency of some sectors of the population who over-indulge at this time of the year. Our helicopter patrols will also be stepped up for enforcement and observation and if you commit an offence, you will be caught and punished," Ndebele said.

MEDIA CONTACT: Logan Maistry
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Road Safety Website: www.kzntransport.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Transport, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government

31 December 2003