As we conclude our October Transport Month safety awareness campaign, I returned to the West Coast today to join Provincial Traffic during an integrated Traffic Law Enforcement operation on the N7 near Moorreesburg. The N7 route is a key connector between the Western Cape and other provinces and carries large volumes of traffic.

The operation formed part of the Provincial Traffic Services 365-day approach towards road safety that is not limited to Transport Month. The safe movement of all our road users is of paramount importance throughout the year. This is why I believe it is appropriate to conclude Transport Month in this way – to underscore the fact that road safety is not only a one-month responsibility. We are out there 365 days a year, doing our part. We need everyone to play their part, too, by using our roads responsibly, 365 days a year.

While I criss-crossed the province during the month of October to increase awareness and promote the safety of drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists and other road users, I am acutely aware of the fact that our work carries on, as we look to improve mobility in the Western Cape, so that people and goods can get to places, pushing our priorities of jobs, safety and well-being.

Some of the activities I attended this month include traffic law enforcement operations, handing over bicycles, cycling with stakeholders to promote non-motorised transport, addressing the smarter mobility summit, launching Junior Traffic Training Centres at schools, participating in SA Auto Week’s discussion panel, and honouring our fallen heroes.

Our Traffic Law Enforcement will continue to conduct structured interventions, including effective road safety education with communication and awareness programmes that positively influence all road users to improve behaviour, when using the road network to commute within and beyond the Western Cape.

As the festive season is fast approaching, it will not be business as usual. We are expecting a huge influx of motorists into the province, and others leaving the province, at the start of the December holidays. The re-deployment of our officers to critical routes will take place during the festive season to promote the effective utilisation of resources when and where they are needed most.

Our focused approach will be to deploy the maximum number of our staff from all our Traffic Centres on routes where high volume traffic movements are expected. This will ensure high visibility of our traffic officers, specifically in areas on the N1 where our data sets reflect a high crash rate. Contributory factors on the major highways include driver negligence, speeding, distracted driving and dangerous over-taking, notably by public transport operators.

We will also focus on alcohol misuse by both drivers and pedestrians throughout the festive period. The safety of all road users remains my top priority and I will continue to support or Traffic Officers who are sacrificing so much to ensure all citizens get ‘Safely Home’. We are doing our part to make roads safer FOR YOU. Help us by obeying the rules of the road.

Caption: Provincial Minister of Mobility, Daylin Mitchell, today joined Traffic law Enforcement during an integrated road safety operation on the N7 near Moorreesburg.

Media Queries:           

Ntomboxolo Makoba-Somdaka

Spokesperson for Minister Daylin Mitchell

Cell: 082 953 0026

Email: Ntomboxolo.Makoba-Somdaka@westerncape.gov.za