Pretoria - More than 100 motorists, mostly taxi operators, have been arrested in Johannesburg's Central Business District for reckless and negligent driving as a result of Operation Nomakanjani.
Many of the taxi operators were arrested for driving on the emergency lane and hindering emergency personnel from reaching accident scenes.
Johannesburg Metro Police spokesperson Edna Mamonyane said as part of Operation Nomakanjani, meaning "no matter what", traffic police would deal harshly with motorists driving recklessly and negligently.
Instead of merely fining them, the police will now arrest drivers for offences such as skipping a red traffic light or a stop sign, changing lanes illegally and talking on cellphones.
All offenders are arrested on the spot and taken to police stations to be charged. They would have to pay a R2000 bail as well as R600 for the release of their vehicles, said Ms Mamonyane.
Offenders are then given a court date to appear on charges of reckless and negligent driving.
"We hope that this will ensure that motorists adhere to the law," she said.
