[ad_1]
Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula unveiled his plan to reduce carnage on the roads during the holiday period in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
FILE: Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula (R) at a press conference on April 17, 2020 at the Grasmere toll plaza on the N1. Image: @ MbalulaFikile / Twitter
CAPE TOWN – Transportation Minister Fikile Mbalula said traffic officials would be on the lookout for drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol this holiday season.
Mbalula unveiled his plan to reduce carnage on the roads during the holiday period in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
Officials handling road blocks will also verify compliance with COVID-19 regulations.
Mbalula said he did not want the transportation sector to become a super-spreader of the virus when people travel to visit friends and family.
ALSO READ: Mbalula promises that the transport sector will not ‘allow’ the covid-19 peak of the holiday season
Recreational drug users and drinkers who drive will face special scrutiny when tourists hit the roads.
Mbalula said highways in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape with a high death rate would also receive special attention.
“We will further intensify law enforcement operations in private vehicles, public transport and heavy vehicles, with a focus on vehicle factors such as tire controls, load management (overloading of cargo vehicles), faulty steering, faulty brakes, including bikes without rear reflectors “.
He said the death toll on the road during the holiday season last year dropped by 10% and this should be improved.
“This was achieved through the intelligent deployment of law enforcement capabilities that led to a surge of visible police surveillance on the roads, particularly at notorious trouble spots.
He again condemned the truck attacks, saying the perpetrators would be charged with economic sabotage.
“We will not tolerate a situation where our roads become war zones.”
Download the EWN app on your iOS or Android device.
[ad_2]
