SEDIBENG.- Plans by the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport are underway to reduce the high number of accidents and fatalities on the roads, as the Easter holidays traffic increases, starting today.

The Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, this week launched the Provincial Easter Road Safety Campaign under the theme “E Thoma Ka Wena” literally meaning “It starts with you” along the N12 Provincial Highway in Slovo Park, City of Johannesburg.

The flagship campaign focused on sharing with the public preventable ways that could be practiced avoiding distractions that leads to fatalities on our roads. The Department has taken a comprehensive and integrated approach, including community engagement, public education, infrastructure development, including enforcement to influence behaviour.

Diale-Tlabela emphasised the value of traffic law enforcement, calling on law enforcement authorities, while combating crime, to keep in mind that our roads also require monitoring to catch any behaviour that violates the traffic laws.

Diale-Tlabela also urged community engagement, encouraging citizens to play an active role in promoting road safety awareness. She encouraged the law enforcement agencies to continue doing the work throughout the Easter period and to arrest people walking on the freeways. This, she argued, would help ensure the safety of both pedestrians and drivers. By taking proactive measures, the agency could prevent potential accidents and maintain public order.

In line with the theme, Diale-Tlabela called on all road users to take responsibility and do it for everyone in South Africa, highlighting the importance of Gauteng in the space of road safety, which has huge impact in the entire country’s road incidents outlook.