Officers to be deployed at intersections
"The traffic laws contravention challenges experienced at the said intersections requires the deployment of shift officers to monitor and enforce."
The Herald has received a comment from the EMPD regarding a letter that was published in the September 24 edition, titled ‘Rules of the road broken with impunity’.
The writer, Paula Nel, alleged that EMPD officers deployed at the intersection of the R554 and Heidelberg Road in Brakpan turn a blind eye to motorists contravening traffic laws, exposing other motorists to danger.
EMPD media liaison officer Lerato Monyane responded as follows:
“The Brakpan Precinct deploys traffic wardens on a daily basis to conduct point/traffic control during peak and rush hour traffic at the intersection of R554 and R23 Heidelberg Road and N17 offramp.
“Each will consist of about three traffic wardens during peak hour in the morning and afternoon. The deployment of traffic wardens at the R554 and R23 Heidelberg Road intersection will usually be done when the traffic lights are off or malfunctioning.
“Traffic wardens attend those intersections and control traffic to ease traffic congestion during the peak hour period, and to enforce traffic laws offences.
“Traffic wardens do not have the necessary tools of trade or resources to swiftly attend or react to contraventions of traffic laws by a motorist while executing their point duty or traffic control duties.
“The traffic wardens’ functional scope is mostly limited to, among others, traffic control or point duty, enforcement of Municipal By-Laws and issuing Section 341 fines on parked motor vehicles with traffic offences.
“As such, they are unable to pursue vehicles which have committed traffic offences.”
Monyane said that to take action against motorists who contravene the law, especially those who drive on the shoulder of the road to cut the traffic queue, officers will be deployed during high traffic volumes at peak hours.
“The officers will be deployed on a daily basis to monitor and address the traffic lawlessness at those intersections to eliminate and prevent possible accidents and chaos which may be caused,” said Monyane.
“The traffic laws contravention challenges experienced at the said intersections requires the deployment of shift officers to monitor and enforce. The officers will then be able to pursue those who contravene and issue fines of such contravention.”
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