The department has developed a road safety plan that incorporates traffic law enforcement alongside education and awareness campaigns.
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has unveiled a road safety plan for the upcoming festive season, promising round-the-clock traffic enforcement on high-priority routes as South Africa battles a persistent road fatality crisis during peak travel periods.
Festive season accidents
According to preliminary reports from the transport department, the last three years reveal that 1 502 people died in 1 234 fatal crashes during the 2024-25 festive season, marking a troubling reversal after two consecutive years of declining fatalities.
The previous festive period had recorded 1 184 fatal crashes, representing a 2.3% decline compared to the 1 212 crashes recorded in 2022-23.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation noted 1 552 fatalities for the 2023-24 period.
The 2022-23 festive season had recorded significant gains in reducing road fatalities, with 1 451 deaths representing a 13.9% reduction compared to the 1 685 fatalities recorded in the previous period.
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24-hour traffic enforcement planned
Responding to questions from EFF MP Tebogo Mokwele about steps taken to address high fatality rates during peak travel seasons, Creecy outlined a multi-pronged strategy combining enforcement, education and “aggressive” communication.
She said the department’s road safety plan includes targeted messaging on road user behaviour, particularly:
- Drink driving
- Speed
- Fatigue
- Overloading
- Distracted driving
- Impaired driving
She said these would be achieved through “traffic law enforcement operations ensuring police visibility, heightening awareness and communication through digital and print media”.
Furthermore, the minister emphasised that “a key part of this plan includes efforts to conduct traffic policing on high-priority routes on a 24-hour basis, using a flexi shift system”.
The department has developed a road safety plan that incorporates traffic law enforcement alongside education and awareness campaigns, with particular focus on dangerous driver behaviours that contribute to crashes.
Modernising public transport systems
Beyond road safety enforcement, the minister detailed efforts to transform the country’s public transportation networks, with particular focus on the taxi industry and rail services.
She said the department is piloting several projects with the taxi industry aimed at transitioning operators from informal to structured small business owners.
“One of the pilots is the introduction of an Automated Fare Collection (AFC) system, which brings a cashless system to the industry and immediately uses technology to provide a safer environment for commuters,” Creecy explained.
She added that “the AFC pilot is coupled with the rationalisation of fleets and optimisation of routes, modernising and improving the quality of services provided”.
Meanwhile, the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) has been steadily recovering passenger services through corridor upgrades and refurbishment. It recorded over 77 million annual passenger trips in the 2024-2025 financial year, with an ambitious target of reaching 600 million annual passenger trips by 2030, according to Creecy.
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Enhanced security for vulnerable passengers
Security improvements have been central to Prasa’s infrastructure upgrades, with the agency deploying additional personnel and surveillance technology across its network.
“As part of the upgrading of rail corridors, Prasa has enhanced security at its stations and depots through increasing the number of security personnel and employing surveillance technology to keep passengers and infrastructure safe,” Creecy said.
The new Isitimela Sabantu Electric Multiple Units (EMU) trains feature multiple safety innovations designed to protect commuters.
“The Isitimela Sabantu EMU trains include a number of safety features, such as CCTV, security personnel in carriages, and a design whereby the locomotives cannot depart from platforms with their doors open – discouraging petty theft and increasing the safety of commuters,” the minister noted.
Exploring diverse funding models
Addressing questions about funding for transport infrastructure development and maintenance, Creecy revealed that road-based public transport is currently funded primarily through fares and conditional grants, specifically the Public Transport Network Grant and Public Transport Operations Grant.
“The department is currently finalising the Public Transport Subsidy Policy and a Road Infrastructure Funding Policy, which are exploring diverse, sustainable and innovative funding sources (e.g, climate finance, congestion charging, parking, PPPs, etc) to contribute towards Road and public transport infrastructure in the future,” Creecy said.
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