Be Safe This Easter
The Easter holiday season is synonymous with high crash and accident rates which claims too many lives and or incurs injury to our citizens. This ultimately negatively affects the country’s economy by millions of rands.
In order to influence the mindset of road users, it is vital that law enforcers create a euphoria of Omni-presence, especially over this notorious period. It is therefore the intention of Newcastle Traffic Services to embark on a rigorous high visibility weekend in order to suppress road carnages.
On Thursday 13 April 2017, Traffic services hosted a roadblock on Allen Street at Hilldrop. Attending this roadblock was Newcastle Municipality’s Deputy Mayor Cllr D. Sibiya, Executive Strategic Director for Community Services Mr. Mandla Sithole, Manager to the Mayor Mr. Andile Masondo and Chief of Traffic Mr. A.K Anandhaw
Welcome those who were present Deputy Mayor emphasized the importance of having traffic officers on the road during this season, she said that the lives of the passengers and even the drivers depends it.
“Motorists tend to get overly excited this season and end up drinking alcohol whilst driving, we need to send all those to jail because they are putting people’s life in danger. Speed is also a lethal offence, motorists should be held accountable for not adhering to speed limits” said Sibiya
Chief of Traffic Mr. Anandhaw said that there are many factors that contribute to these unacceptable behavior from motorists I.e. High volumes of traffic over a short period- increased travels to places of worship. Easter is the first long break since December holidays, thus migrant workers return to their homes and this increases traffic volumes, KZN is still the preferred tourist destination prior to the winter period.
“Road-user behavior- drivers do not obey rules of the road. They do not ensure that they are buckled up and the latest plague is the cellphone usage whilst driving. Pedestrians are also oblivious to road safety and pose a huge hazard in the road environment.” Continued Anandhaw
The Delegation proceeded to the road where they started spreading messages of road safety to motorists by engaging with them and also handing out road safety kits.