'Short-cut' motorists arrested
2009-06-11 09:01
Johannesburg – A Midrand businessman says he has “learnt his lesson” after being arrested for driving on the shoulder of the road and spending the day in a freezing police cell on Wednesday.
Gerrit van Zyl, 42, said he had never even received a traffic ticket before. He was speaking after returning to his home in Lonehill. “The first thing that I did was have a warm shower.”
Van Zyl and nine other motorists were nabbed at the crossing of Main and Kyalami Road in Kyalami at 08:00 on Wednesday. All of them wanted to turn left into Kyalami Road and tried to skip the rush hour traffic by taking a “short cut” on the shoulder of the road, he admitted.
“I thought the traffic cop made a joke when he said I was being arrested and that everything I said could be used against me. We were then taken by convoy, with one traffic car in front and one at the back, to the Midrand police station.”
At the police station, he and eight other male motorists were locked in one cell. The female motorist was locked in another cell.
Stunned
“There were also five taxi drivers. We all felt the same: stunned. The woman was quite unhappy. The most frustrating thing was that we didn’t understand how the process worked. Everything except our clothes was taken from us: shoe laces, belts, watches, rings, cellphones, keys and money.”
According to van Zyl, they spent the whole day in the “dirty” cell without food, shivering with cold and chatting until they were released on R500 bail shortly before 17:00.
They will appear in court in Midrand on Friday on charges or reckless and negligent driving.
“I know that I have transgressed and I have learnt my lesson, but I think a fine would’ve had the same effect. Five constables probably sat and filled in forms for three hours. It is a waste of labour and time for something small.
“We didn’t endanger anyone’s lives. The traffic is terrible at that crossing. We only wanted to turn left. It relieved traffic pressure,” said Van Zyl.
Sizwe Matshikiza, spokesperson for the department for community safety, said on Wednesday night that the shoulder of the road was meant for emergency traffic and people who drove there made themselves guilty of a punishable offence and endangered lives.