ROAD users who break the law are going to be thrown into the cells from today.
Gone is the application of section 56, whereby those who break the law are given written notices.
“We have agreed to make this Christmas weekend very difficult for disobedient road users. We are going to arrest them because they are a danger to society. The party is over,” said Road Traffic Management Corporation CEO, Makhosini Msibi.
He was speaking in Joburg after a meeting with heads of departments responsible for traffic management in all provinces and senior officers from different metros.
Msibi said besides arresting lawbreakers, traffic cops will be impounding unroadworthy vehicles. They will also have mobile testing stations for alcohol.
Those who will fail to produce driver’s licences will also risk imprisonment. Msibi said so far this festive season, 10 000 motorists have been given fines for driving without licences.
He said during the past 21 days, officials have observed people driving at excessive speeds, under the influence of alcohol and in unroadworthy vehicles.
Most crashes happen in build-up areas, he said.
“We have noted that pedestrians constituted 40% of road users killed in the crashes, followed by passengers at 31%. This points to the fact that most crashes are not occurring on the national and provincial roads. They are happening in townships and villages.
“We will be deploying law enforcement officers into residential areas and places of entertainment.”
He said it was a false belief that most accidents are caused by taxis as they contributed to just over 6%.
