27 February 2001
The Minister Of Transport, Dullah Omar announced winners of the BE SIGN WISE Competition today in Cape Town. The competition entered into by thousands of applicants was an attempt to expose road users to new road signs and to increase awareness on road traffic signs. Minister Omar said that the promotion of road signs was very important because road signs were last promoted in South Africa about 7 years ago. "The new road traffic sign system, which include signs, signals and markings, is to be promoted as part of the Arrive Alive Road Safety Campaign", Omar said.
In his address Omar stressed that driving schools are going to have to meet strict formal criteria for accreditation, and both driving schools and instructors will have to meet clearly specified standards for their re-registration every two years, under a stringent national inspection regime. Driving schools and instructors will be compelled to implement the new road traffic sign system. Omar also said “we will be piloting a computerised learners licence testing system. This will largely automate the administration of the learners test, minimising scope for fraudulent human intervention in the process, while at the same time making the test user-friendlier for disadvantaged applicants through the use of touch-screen and audio-visual technology.
The K-53 driving test will be revised to ensure that it is as accessible as possible to all applicants and that it is testing the right road-user and driver skills in the right ways. Minister Omar said unfit and unsafe vehicles will be removed from South Africa’s roads through a combination of law enforcement, regulation and the compulsory introduction of proven vehicle safety technologies.
ISSUED BY:
Mike Mabasa
HEAD: Media Liaison and Corporate Communication
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT
TEL: 083 680 7048
FAX: 083 676 8450
CAPE TOWN