As the festive season approaches, the spotlight turns to local law enforcement and traffic authorities. Many residents are concerned about the strategies in place to minimise the road accidents and violations that frequently mar this period.
On Wednesday, 16 October 2024, a large contingent of police officers, traffic officials, firefighters, security personnel, and paramedics gathered along Allen Street, near Hilldrop, to launch the annual October Transport Month campaign.
The campaign is aimed not only at promoting road safety but also at rolling out operations throughout Newcastle to ensure the community’s safety.
During the launch, the Strategic Executive Director (SED) for Community Services, Mr GB Dlamini, addressed those in attendance. He emphasised that the purpose of October Transport Month is to combat the road carnage that afflicts communities across South Africa daily.
“Society and motorists don’t always adhere to the road regulations that have been established. But when you examine the statistics of fatalities and injuries, pedestrians also fail to comply with road regulations when they step onto the roads,” he stressed. He further explained that the situation is worsened by the number of social events during the holiday season, often leading individuals to find themselves on the wrong side of the law.
With this in mind, Mr Dlamini highlighted that Newcastle Municipal Traffic Officers would be adopting a zero-tolerance approach in the weeks to come.
A series of operations will target motorists who flagrantly disregard traffic laws, ensuring that offenders are held accountable.
Additionally, Amajuba District SAPS Commissioner, Major General Fred Alexander, announced that the police would also show no leniency towards criminals during the festive season. Speaking of the upcoming intensified efforts, he said, “We will be conducting high-density operations in the CBD and surrounding areas. We will focus on liquor outlets, cloned licence plates, drunk driving, infrastructure-related crimes such as copper theft from government entities, domestic violence, the drug trade, and the enforcement of bylaws. Our goal is to keep our communities safe this festive season.”
Following these announcements, traffic officials and police officers immediately sprang into action, conducting roadside checks to ensure vehicle licences and registrations were current and addressing other potential violations.
As the Municipality and law enforcement ramp up efforts to make Newcastle’s roads and suburbs safer with increased visibility and operations over the next three months, what are your thoughts?
Share your views in the comment section below.
Comments 1
We would appreciate if they can also be strict on public drinking especially in the suburb areas where liquid is sold.SAPS if the can patrol as we having a challenge of people buying booze and park their cars by the liquor store and open the music loud..we would really appreciate that