Pretoria - Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele has warned road users that zero tolerance against all traffic offences will be intensified ahead of the New Year and beyond.
"The thousands of arrests and fines since December 1, as part of the Festive Season Arrive Alive Road Safety Campaign, is a clear indication that government is serious about enforcement," said Ndebele.
More than 550 000 vehicles had been stopped and checked on some of the country's busiest roads since December 1. More than 282 000 motorists were fined for speeding; 3 200 drunk drivers arrested; 219 motorists arrested for reckless and negligent driving; 2 211 un-roadworthy vehicles removed from the roads, including 1 100 buses and taxis; and thousands of drivers also fined for not wearing seatbelts and committing other offences.
Ndebele said as of next year, the implementation of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (AARTO) will create an improved road traffic management environment in South Africa and enhance a culture of compliance through the Points Demerit System.
"Those who do not obey the law must not only face the consequences of their actions, but must also forfeit their driving licence," he added.
The department has also vowed that no less than one million vehicles and drivers will be stopped between December and January.
