21 000 vehicles stopped in Gauteng blitz
2011-09-04 17:42
Johannesburg - Over 21 000 vehicles were stopped and checked by
police over the weekend as part of the transport department's national
rolling enforcement plan, aimed at promoting safety on South African
roads, said a department spokesperson on Sunday.
Transport ministry spokesperson Logan Maistry said police officers
were out in "full force" following Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele's
instruction last week that "every bus and taxi on South Africa's roads
must be stopped and checked".
Maistry said that as part of the NREP, September would be dedicated to public transport enforcement.
"The
safety of commuters is paramount and all public transport vehicles will
be monitored closely by transport authorities," he said.
At
least 76 people were killed in August in eight separate crashes
involving public transport vehicles in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, the
Free State and the Western and Eastern Capes, he said.
From
October 2010, the NREP programme has seen almost 12 million vehicles and
drivers checked by traffic officials, and almost 5 million fines issued
for various traffic offences.
Nearly 18 000 drunk drivers were arrested and 46 843 unroadworthy vehicles were discontinued from use in the same period.
- SAPA
