Residents ask traffic dept to step up
Several residents took to social media in the past week expressing their anger at the seeming lack of assistance offered by traffic officials.
POLOKWANE – “Officials will sit across the road of an accident, or across a point where points duty is needed for peak time traffic, and simply ignore the situation,” one resident wrote.
According to forensic accident reconstruction specialist Philip Smit, the majority of the accidents on the province’s roads in recent months can be ascribed to negligence, drunk driving and simple ignorance of traffic rules.
Local tow truck operators, police officials and emergency services workers agree with this statement, saying most of the accidents they get called out to are caused by speeding, driving under the influence and reckless driving.
“The number of accidents will be reduced if there are serious repercussions for the perpetrators. We also need more visible traffic and other law enforcement officials because we all drive slower or better when there is a traffic officer in sight,” some said.
Smit furthermore cited a reluctance in enforcing the road rules by traffic officials as a further contributor to incidents on the city’s roads: “If traffic and transport departments monitored and enforced rules and regulations in the city, the number of accidents would be brought down significantly”.
Limpopo Paramedics Operations Manager David Dennisson told Review the majority of accidents they tend to are the cause of motorists not abiding by the rules of the road and that these accidents can be prevented if traffic officials were doing more.
According to Transport Spokesperson, Joshua Kwapa, they plan several law enforcement campaigns in October.
The MEC, Nandi Ndalane introduced a month-long programme that will showcase transport infrastructure projects, promote the use of public transport and advance the country’s road safety initiatives.
Transport Month is an annual awareness initiative during which the public is educated and informed on how to be safe on the roads. They hope to reach a number of people with their campaigns as more than 20 accidents were recorded in the city within the first week of Transport Month.
Polokwane Municipality Spokesperson Matshidiso Mothapo said residents who are unhappy with the service delivered by traffic officials should report the matter to the municipality at (015) 290 2400/1.
An investigation will follow, he added.
Do you think a more visible Traffic Department will limit accidents in the city?
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