The Gauteng Provincial Government continues to strengthen road safety and traffic law enforcement through high-impact stop-and-search operations led by the Gauteng Transport Inspectorate (GTI) in collaboration with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).

Various operations form part of a coordinated strategy to tackle lawlessness, combat criminality, and improve compliance with traffic legislation, particularly within the public transport sector.

During the week of February 16 to 22, intensified operations were conducted across the cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane. Operations targeted major public and scholar transport corridors identified as high-risk due to non-compliance and road safety violations.

As a result, the operations resulted in:

• 19 minibuses discontinued for failure to meet critical road safety requirements.

• 60 vehicles issued with discontinuity notices.

Defects identified included faulty brakes, worn tyres, broken headlights, defective brake lights or indicators, and cracked windscreens, all of which pose serious risks to road users.

In addition, officers further issued infringement notices to non-compliant public transport operators:

• More than 600 manual infringement notices were issued.

• 877 electronic notices were processed using GTI’s advanced e-Force devices.

Further non-compliance identified during operations included:

• 89 minibus taxi operators found driving without valid driving licences

• 54 minibuses operating without valid licence discs.

By law, driving a vehicle without being in possession of a driving licence is an offence, and the offender will be issued a fine. This can also lead to the offender having a criminal record and/or the vehicle being impounded if no licensed driver is present to take over the vehicle.

Vehicle impoundments carry incremental monetary penalties for public transport operators, in particular, for first and subsequent offences.

Officers also arrested 14 motorists for several serious offences:

• 12 arrests for driving under the influence (DUI).

• One arrested for fraud.

• One arrested for reckless and negligent driving.

Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, has commended the GTI for its consistent and proactive enforcement approach. This, she added, reaffirms the Department’s zero-tolerance stance on negligence and non-compliance.

“These weekly results demonstrate our commitment to creating a safer, more compliant transport environment. The work of the Inspectorate to discontinue 19 minibuses, in a single week, sends a clear and uncompromising message that Gauteng will not tolerate criminality, corruption, or total disregard for road regulations,” stressed the MEC.

Diale-Tlabela noted that the stop-and-search operations are key pillars of the province’s quest for safer roads and traffic law enforcement strategy. Through sustained visibility and decisive action, the Inspectorate continues to bolster the province’s road safety message that lawlessness on public roads will not be tolerated.

The MEC added that discontinuation of unroadworthy vehicles is a necessary step in protecting lives on the province’s public roads.

She pleaded for patience and understanding during these operations.