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As the festive season rapidly approaches the Department of Transport must increase the visibility of traffic officers on our roads and ensure that regular and random vehicle roadworthy inspections are being carried out. Such inspections should be conducted by traffic officers with particular a focus on vehicles used for public conveyance. This comes in the wake of yet another horrific accident which occurred in Westonoria in the East Rand on Sunday, which claimed the lives of 19 people.

IFP Spokesperson on Transport, Mr Petros Sithole, MP, said “the consistently high visibility of traffic officers on our roads will go a long way in preventing such incidents as the preliminary report at the scene of this particular accident indicates that the 15 passenger taxi was overloaded, carrying more than twenty people. Taxi owners must face the full might of the law when they deliberately permit such over-crowding of their vehicles. People are dying because of their greed”.

“To those families who have lost their loved ones, the IFP extends its deepest condolences. To those passengers who are fighting for their lives in hospital we wish a speedy recovery to full health,” sympathised Mr Sithole.

We urge the Department of Transport to understand that campaigns like “Arrive Alive” should not only be a festive season initiatives but rather continuing campaigns. Everyday people are using our roads, they deserve to be safe,” concluded Mr Sithole.

Issued by IFP