VIP blue light brigades – what you need to know

A video that went viral on social media recently once again sparked outrage and concern over the presence of ‘blue light brigades’ – the unofficial term used to describe the country’s VIP escort services.

The clip shows several armed men emerging from black BMWs, dragging three occupants from a VW Polo and assaulting them before getting back into the SUVs and driving away.

One of the victims appears to be unconscious after the attack.

While details about the incident are still emerging, it is believed it was the result of a traffic dispute between the Polo and BMW drivers, with the former failing to make way for the approaching convoy.

Can such a clash with a blue light brigade be avoided?

While they can be a great source of frustration for other road users, VIP escort services equipped with blue lights are allowed to disobey certain rules of the road – to a reasonable degree.

Under normal circumstances, citizens are expected to comply with regulation 176 of the National Road Traffic Act (NRTA), which states that drivers are expected to give way to any vehicle with an identification lamp, or that is sounding a device.

These convoys are specifically covered under Section 58(3) of the National Road Traffic Act (NRTA), which stipulates that “any person driving a vehicle while engaged in civil protection as contemplated in any ordinance made in terms of section 3 of the Civil Protection Act 1977 (Act No. 67 of 1977), may disregard the directions of a road traffic sign which is displayed in the prescribed manner.”

This allowance is permitted provided the person(s) drive with “due regard to the safety of other traffic,” according to the NRTA.

However, several individuals have spoken out about the recent incident, claiming the acts of the SUV drivers go far beyond what is authorised by the NRTA.

Stefanie Fick, executive director of the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa), said that assaulting people and standing in the middle of the freeway is not a justification for their duties.

The incident has also raised trust issues between citizens and law enforcement, as it is difficult to differentiate between an urgent approaching convoy and people in fancy vehicles who are abusing their power, she explained.

“If you are not protecting the deputy president and there is not an urgent need, it is difficult to fathom what could have happened to act that way,” said Fick.

Outa therefore recommends that, when faced with an approaching blue light convoy, rather than taking the situation into your own hands, it’s better to make way as soon as it is safe to do so and report the cars in question to the authorities if you suspect foul play.

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