MEC: Road fatalities can be cut by half
The 2020 Decade of Action for Road Safety, which aims at reducing the rate of accidents and fatalities by half, is realistic the North West Community Safety and Transport Management MEC Gaoage Molapisi said.
“Our recent performance of 71 percent reduction on fatalities is a clear indication that we can live our dream of reducing accidents by 50 percent in 2020. One day South Africa will be a better country,” he said.
Molapisi was commenting on the reduction of road fatalities during the Easter weekend. The North West was rated the number one province with 71 percent reduction of road deaths compared to last year’s same period fatalities.
“Last year we recorded 28 fatalities and our plan for this year was to reduce by at least 50 percent, but what happened now in the province we could say we have outwitted ourselves,” he said.
More than 59 people were arrested during operations around the clock that were conducted in the province to deal with motorists driving under the influence of alcohol and excessive speeding.
During the long weekend a speedster was arrested for driving at 122km/h in an 80km zone on the N4 between Zeerust and Swartruggens. He was later released on R1,000 bail.
Molapisi said the speedster and other like him were not helping the province to improve safety on the roads.
“But [we] will keep acting harshly against them … our vision is to reach our goal for the 2020 Decade of Action on Road Safety and we will do whatever it takes to reach this goal.”
Molapisi said the death of eight people on the province’s roads was still a matter of concern.
“On behalf of the provincial government we would like to convey our sincere condolences to the bereaved families and we are promising that one year we would not record any deaths (on the roads). May the souls of the departed rest in eternal peace,” said Molapisi, adding “we also wish the injured a speedy recovery”.