Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has intensified traffic enforcement and road safety during the school holiday period and ahead of the Easter weekend.
"Road safety lectures were done at schools in the Khayelitsha and Bonteheuwel areas, reaching some 4000 children.
"Roadblocks concentrating on drunk driving, speeding and other traffic offences were also held last week", said Chief Inspector Merle Lourens, media spokesperson for Cape Town Traffic Services.
She said in addition fitness checks will be conducted on long-distance buses and taxis at the Joe Gqabi interchange in Phillipi.
Ms Lourens said once the buses and taxis had undergone a successful roadworthy test, colour coded stickers, depicting the registration number, number of passengers and departure time will be recorded and entered into a data base.
"If that same bus or taxi is observed elsewhere in the province, such as in Beaufort West or Mossel Bay, the arrival time is noted and cross-checked with the data base." This practice, she said will assist in managing driver fatigue and passenger overloads.
If public transport vehicles are stopped anywhere along the major routes and are found to be in order, but do not have the colour coded disc, one will be issued to the driver, she said.
She further appealed to the public to be more careful at all times on the roads.
"I appeal to both motorists and pedestrians to be more vigilant and at all times to be aware of their surroundings during this period of increased pedestrian and vehicular activity on our roads.
"Using your cellphone while driving results in a lack of concentration, which impairs your judgement and contributes to road accidents," said Chief Inspector Lourens.
