Arrive Alive Campaign launches in Vhembe

LIMPOPO – The MEC for Transport, Violet Mathye addressed traffic officers and other stakeholders at Bokisi on Thursday during the official launch of the Arrive Alive Campaign.

Starting the day, the MEC, accompanied by provincial traffic officers, those from Louis Trichardt as well as police officers, conducted roadblocks on the R578.

Many vehicles were stopped and inspected, and many warrants of arrest were issued.

According to Mathye, the R578 is an accident hotspot in the district of Vhembe, and the department is aiming to reduce road fatalities this season by increasing operations.

She said that a pattern of overloaded buses and taxis, and motorists driving long distances without stopping to rest was worrying and that a strategy had been put in place to ensure that all motorists complied with road regulations. “We set targets for ourselves so that people have to hold us accountable on the basis of our own commitment. We are going to maintain a constant presence of traffic officials on a 10km radius on our busy roads,” she warned.

This year, the department introduced the Taxi and Truck Driver of the Year competitions as a means of encouraging drivers to observe traffic rules. Pedestrians are also called on to wear visible clothing and to not walk in the road at night.

The MEC urged traffic officials to be neither negotiators nor to accept bribes from those who disobey traffic rules. “When on duty, please do what is supposed to be done, irrespective of who the motorist is, and don’t take bribes from anyone,” she said.