20 problematic routes identified in SA, says Transport Dept

JOHANNESBURG - Deputy Transport Minister Mkhuleko Hlengwa says they have identified 20 problematic routes in the country, as the department continues its festive season road safety operation.  

On Friday, Hlengwa, who spearheaded a stop-and-search operation at the Grasmere Poll plaza said more than 500 deaths had occurred on the country's roads since the start of the holiday season.

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Hlengwa said the campaign's success so far was due to the cooperation between the different tiers of government.

But he stressed the importance of motorists’ playing their role: “The efforts that we may be putting in and the intervention we may be doing are half the intervention. The other half of the intervention is driver responsibility, it's driver behaviour. It's pedestrians observing the rules of the road.”

Hlengwa said reducing accident numbers over the festive season has a multi-pronged effect.

He highlighted that rising road fatalities significantly strained entities that assist in emergencies.

Hlengwa said the department was working to reduce the burden from the Road Accident Fund (RAF) during this busy time.

“Part of assisting the RAF is actually detailing the road accidents in the road fatalities in order for us to place the RAF in a position which is able to sufficiently and objectively meet its obligations, and not strain its own finances as we know they are only generating revenue through the RAF levy."