Date: 31/01/2008
Source: Department of Transport
Title: SA: Radebe: Launch of Road Safety Campaign Operation Juggernaut

Remarks at the launch of the Road Safety Campaign: Operation Juggernaut by Mr Jeff Radebe, Minister of Transport, Durban

Programme Director, Mr J Schnell
MEC Bheki Cele
Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) CEO, R J Rakgoale
RTMC Acting Executive manager, Thabo Tsholetsane
Head of Department, Chris Hlabisa
Members of the Traffic Police
Members of the South African Police Service (SAPS)
Distinguished guests
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen

It is my great pleasure to be with you here today to witness the launch of the Road Safety Campaign Operation Juggernaut. Early last month when I handed over the Torch of Peace to Minister Naledi Pandor and reported on the Festive Season Fatal Crash Report I indicated that our law enforcement plans on the roads will continue to be heightened to reduce the challenges of road crashes.

Given that an average of 36 lives are lost on our roads everyday, we have taught ourselves never to be complacent on our efforts to curb the devastating carnage of road crashes. The majority of you are aware of the accident between a bus and a bakkie that killed 10 people near Ulundi recently. These kind of crashes are examples of acts that we cannot tolerate as government. We can prevent this senseless loss of lives if we cautiously listen and practise what people responsible for law enforcement encourage and say. It is very devastating that people who would be expecting to arrive to their places safely will end up not reaching their destinations.

The results of the Arrive Alive and Operation Safer Festive Season campaign are encouraging. I want to call all our road users to heed our call to exercise their tolerance and patience and continue to behave on the roads. Allow me to highlight some of our festive season road safety successes. The total number of fatal crashes over the period from 1 December to 6 January decreased by 36, (2,64%) from 1 363 in 2006/07 to 1 327 in 2007/08. Free State had a decrease of 32 from 108 to 76, Northern Cape had a decrease of seven from 42 to 35 and KwaZulu-Natal had a decrease of 37, from 277 to 240.

The number of fatal crashes per 10 000 registered vehicles decreased by 0,15 from a rate of 1,78 over the 2006/07 period to a rate of 1,63 over the 2007/08 period. The biggest decrease was recorded in the Free State where the rate decreased by 32,62 % followed by the Northern Cape with a decrease of 24,45%. Ladies and gentlemen, I want to emphasise that these figures reflect that if we all commit ourselves to obey the rules of the road we can yield positive results and further reduce fatal crashes.

Operation Juggernaut is part of the Rolling Enforcement Plan that is seamlessly implemented all year round. The public perception of road traffic law enforcement seems to be that law enforcement agencies employ seasonal efforts to combat road carnage. Whilst the media hype during Easter and December Holiday period is heightened, there are other co-ordinated efforts such as this Operation Juggernaut that are implemented to curb the road carnage in the country. The Rolling Enforcement Plan is a product of the Law Enforcement Technical Committee (LETCOM) under the auspices of the Road Traffic Management Coordinating Committee (RTMCC). All the country's nine provincial traffic authorities, six metros and six big local traffic authorities that comprise LETCOM have agreed to implement the Rolling Enforcement Plan (REP).

We have observed that between 10% and 15% of fatal crashes are as a result of or involve an unroadworthy vehicle. These are the vehicles we should ensure are out of the road network so that our roads are safe for law-abiding road users. In preparation for the safer Easter Weekend, we want to ensure that our road network has been cleaned of road traffic offenders. Operation Juggernaut will be implemented during 1 to 29 February. The operation's primary focus is to rid the road network of unfit vehicles and drivers and to focus on freight carrying, goods vehicles and passenger transport. These include learner transport vehicles so that by Easter time, only responsible road users remain on the road network.

Other areas of focus will include amongst others to:

* increase law compliance, reduce crashes, increase detection and prosecution of critical offences and restore confidence and respect for the road traffic management fraternity
* stop and check vehicle fitness of mini-buses, buses, trucks as well as drivers
* monitoring of speed as it is a factor in the severity of injuries in road traffic crashes
* checking public transport documentation (cross-boarder permits and professional drivers permits)
* monitor and curb moving violations, drinking and driving, learner transport vehicles, warrants and registration plates.

Our law enforcement officers will also be able to stop and check 200 000 public transport and freight carrying vehicles, perform overloading checks at Traffic Control Centres along major routes. They will also do alcohol checks to combat drinking and driving, number plate recognition to detect vehicles with outstanding warrants as well as identifying vehicles used to commit crime. The use of safe public transport will also be prioritised to safeguard the innocent lives of passengers.

Programme Director, I must stress that road safety education and communication interventions continue to be part of our special operations. My department takes comfort in that tougher measures continue to be taken against those who behave and think that they are above the law. Traffic authorities will continue to deal harshly with drunken driving; speeding, unsafe overtaking, overloading and driving unroadworthy vehicles.

As government we are committed to ensure that our road network infrastructure and public transport support our road safety initiatives. Through our Transport Action Plan, which was approved by Cabinet in 2006, we have allocated R9,2 billion to make sure that come 2010 our road network infrastructure is able to transport passengers safely. We are targeting the recapitalisation of 80% of the current taxi fleet by 2010 and as of today I can confirm that more than 13 261 Old Taxi Vehicles have been scrapped.

The presence of New Taxi Vehicles on our roads is visibly gaining momentum as I speak. Our freeways are constantly being upgraded where there are shortfalls and precedence is also being given on hazardous locations, which are a threat to road safety. Our R25 Billion Gauteng Freeway Improvement Scheme is part of our broader strategy to make sure that traffic movements are given minimal chances of being involved in accidents.

Government has committed more than R63 Billion in the next four years to be used on our road infrastructure networks to enable our public transport operations to function efficiently. These developments ladies and gentlemen, are part of support mechanisms to reduce factors that lead to crashes on our roads.

In the past few years, road safety has been the subject of various debates and programmes given that any incident, no matter how minor has the potential to disrupt traffic flow, thereby causing a hazard to motorists. As a result the Department of Transport, the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL) and the Transport Sector Education and Training Authority (TETA) has developed an Incident Management qualification in line with South African Qualification Authority (SAQA) standards. For incidents to be dealt with as quickly and efficiently as possible, it is crucial for incident responders to be trained on Incident Management, over and above their institutional training.

As we aim to drastically reduce fatal crashes on our roads as a nation, I am confident that together we can make it. Road safety is every citizen's responsibility and we can only win through our collective efforts to behave on our roads. In conclusion ladies and gentleman, I must say road safety remains our mission. We need everybody's support and commitment to reduce losses in our economy by saving thousands of rands that are caused through deaths, injury and loss to property and skills. Let's all heed the call to road safety and drive to arrive alive everyday.

I thank you!

Issued by: Department of Transport
31 January 2008