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Date : 17/01/2007
Source: Department of Transport
Title: Radebe: Handing over of Torch of Peace


Remarks At the Handing Over of the Torch of Peace By Mr Jeff Radebe, (MP), Minister of Transport, Atteridgeville, Tshwane

Programme Director
Minister of Education - Mrs Pandor
Deputy Minister - Ms Hangana
MMC Advocate KC Kekana
Distinguished Guests
Members of the Media
Teachers and Learners
Ladies and Gentlemen

We are here to witness the handover of the Torch of Peace from the Arrive Alive Campaign to the Safer Schools Campaign. In December in Upington we received the Torch of Peace from the campaign against the abuse of women and children. These campaigns are intended to instil a strong sense of humanity, preserve lives and avoid violence, crime and accidents wherever possible.

With regard to road safety, our Arrive Alive campaign continues to work for positive change of road user behaviour in order to reduce the number of lives that are lost on our roads. We lose more than 13 000 lives on our roads every year at a cost of more than R43 billion to the economy. The death toll on our roads over the December 2006 festive period alone was 1 394 from 1 194 crashes. This shows a slight reduction compared to the 1 491 deaths in 2005 during the same period.

We are confident that the reduction in the number of deaths in the above figures is an indication that our road safety strategies are bearing fruits Ironically, our economic growth also plays a contributory role in the sense that more South Africans are able to buy vehicles. Last year new vehicles sales in South Africa peaked to 714 340 units, 15,7% more than the number sold in 2005. This leads to a drastic increase in our vehicle population. These factors also mean that a great number of inexperienced drivers are entering our roads on a daily basis leading to an increase in road accidents.

We are targeting to achieve the reduction in road accidents through a number of interventions. Through our National Road Safety Strategy we continue to introduce rigorous and innovative ways to improve road safety.

Last year just before the festive season we launched an intensified Arrive Alive Campaign and the Rolling Enforcement Plan for the festive season with a specific focus on critical offences contributing to accidents such as drunken driving, speeding, non-wearing of seatbelts and unroadworthy vehicles ? which are all related to driver?behaviour. These interventions will continue throughout the year.

We will continue to intensify our law enforcement during 2007 with more patrol vehicles to be deployed in hazardous routes throughout the country to ensure compliance. More law enforcement officers will be deployed countrywide to ensure persistent police visibility. Law enforcement officers will continue a thorough clamp down on overloading and unroadworthy busses, vehicles and taxis that use our roads.

I must also stress that the drivers demerit and merit point system will also be piloted in Tshwane this year, in order to deal with habitual traffic offenders. The Bloemfontein High Court's ruling last year to impound vehicles involved in committing offences such as drunken-driving and speeding is being utilised to our full advantage. Our law enforcement agencies will arrest reckless drivers and will always ensure that such drivers forfeit their vehicles to the state. We are serious about this and the Asset Forfeiture Unit is working with us.

The provincial Departments of Transport are investing more than R 1,5 billion in road safety initiatives, which is over and above municipal road safety campaigns. The National Department of Transport is also contributing more than R50 million annually on road safety.

Today, Ladies and Gentlemen, we are handing over this Torch of Peace to the Department of Education so that they carry on with the Safer Schools Campaign. Schools should be centres of learning not violence and abuse.

Lets make it a habit to always: Buckle up, Slow down, Walk Safely, Sober Up and Rest after ever 2 hours or 200 kilometres of driving when using our roads.

Let us all Arrive Alive!
Ke ya leboga!
Issued by: Department of Transport
17 January 2007

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