Pretoria - People should allow due the processes of the Pinetown crash to unfold without interference, says Transport Minister Dipuo Peters.
Briefing reporters on Wednesday in Cape Town on interventions to address road carnage in the country, Peters said: “We wish to urge calm and restraint and to allow the due processes to unfold without interference.
“We need to show confidence in and respect for our judiciary and refrain from speculations regardless of the outcomes of preliminary investigations.
“We urge all parties involved to work closely and tirelessly to ensure that this matter is closed properly, with those in the wrong facing the wrath of the law.”
The driver of an 18-wheeler truck, which ploughed into four mini bus taxis and a car on September 5 in Pinetown, Sanele May, has been charged with 22 counts of murder.
Peters described the long term effects of road crashes as devastating. “Breadwinners are taken away from their families and those who remain behind face a bleak future without a source of income.
“Surviving victims are faced with a lifetime incapacity to fend for themselves due to serve injuries and disability.”
Cost to SA economy
Peters said at least R306 billion is lost to the South African economy annually as a result of road crashes.
This cost includes loss of manpower or skills due to fatalities and injuries, emergency medical services, post-crash services such as road repairs and clean-up operations and compensation paid out by the Road Accident Fund (RAF).
The RAF alone pays out R15 billion to victims of road crashes each year. Of this amount, R1 billion is for continued medical support of those who get injured during crashes.
The minister said there are no sufficient law enforcement officers to police every corner of the country; however, she said her ministry is currently engaged in exploratory inter-governmental discussions regarding the human resource needs of traffic law enforcement authorities.
“We believe that part of the remedial actions for law enforcement authorities should be to increase traffic personnel to address glaring challenges such as dangerous overtaking which is a major cause of fatal head-on collisions.
“With additional capacity on our roads, we will be able to better tackle the challenge confronting us.”
Team of experts
The minister said she has since established an intergovernmental team of experts to investigate pragmatic and sustainable interventions aimed at curbing the spate of road crashes in the country.
The team, comprising senior officials from her department, the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA), the SA National Road Agency (SANRAL) and the RAF, will work with law enforcement authorities in provinces and municipalities.
The team’s area of focus would include reviewing existing legislation under the National Road Traffic Act, road structural challenges and educational campaigns aimed at raising awareness about road safety hazards among motorists, passengers and pedestrians.
Peters also urged motorists to refrain from bribing traffic officers. “Do not offer bribes to our officers or accede to requests for bribes from our officers. It’s a criminal offence and you will be charged and prosecuted for such.”
The minister also warned driving school operators from conducting themselves in ways that are in violation of the law. “Only a learner driver who has received adequate training should be booked for driver’s licence testing.
“They (driving school owners) must not circumvent processes in a bid to make extra revenue at the expense of people’s lives,” she said. - SAnews.gov.za
