BETHAL – Ms Gabisile Shabalala, Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, led a multi-disciplinary Rest Stop in N17 Road between Bethal and Ermelo on Friday, 18 October as part of October Transport Month.
Ms Shabalala interacted with motorists who were passing through on the busy N17 Road that links Gauteng, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.
The route also links South Africa and eSwatini.
Many trucks transporting goods pass through this route that sometimes become heavily congested with traffic, particularly during weekends of month-ends and peak holiday seasons.
During her interaction, Ms Shabalala encouraged motorists to participate in the government’s road safety initiatives.
She called on motorists to comply with the road rules, to report bad driving and also to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy at all times.
She appealed to commuters to speak out whenever they see their drivers transgressing the rules or driving in a dangerous manner that may endanger their lives and that of other road users.
She also urged drivers to rest, particularly when driving long distances, because some of the deadly crashes are caused by fatigue.
“You must not keep quiet when you see reckless driving behavior. They must listen to you and not disregard the rules of the road. We will not rest. The department and its stakeholders will continue with these operations now throughout the festive season and beyond. We must all play our part in making our roads safe.
During the Rest Stop, two passengers who were travelling with children were presented with car seats as part of promoting road safety and ensuring that children are safe.
Ms Shabalala and her team reached 174 drivers, 295 vehicles were stopped, and 38 summonses for various offences were issued.
Four vehicles were issued with notices to discontinue driving due to defects.
About nine undocumented foreign nationals from Zimbabwe, eSwatini and Mozambique were also brought to book.
Ms Shabalala pleaded with traffic law enforcement officers not to show any leniency towards errant driving behaviour.
