Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma has sent condolences to the congregation of the 12th Apostolic Church in Christ, the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the tragic bus accident in the Western Cape last Friday.
Twenty-four people were killed and scores injured when the double decker bus crashed into the mountainside near de Doorns last Friday. The bus was reportedly en route from Johannesburg to Cape Town.
“The government shares your sorrow; your grief is our grief. We remain concerned by the high number of people who die tragically on our roads,” Zuma said at the memorial service for the victims, held on Thursday.
Zuma said the law enforcement agencies were investigating the cause of the bus accident.
“There is a preliminary report. Once the report is finalised, we will be informed about the contributory factors that led to the fateful event.”
Given the number of people who die each day on the country’s roads, the Department of Transport’s campaign to promote road safety continued to be of great importance. Zuma further urged all South Africans to participate actively to promote road safety.
“We are all affected by this challenge. The Department of Transport will continue to implement its public awareness and road safety education campaigns to heighten awareness of the rules of the road and the consequences of bad driving”.
With respect to drinking and driving, the President noted that various government departments were considering banning alcohol advertisements and the abolition of the current alcohol limit, which allows people to drive after taking a limited amount of alcohol.
Probing questions were being asked about the advisability of allowing people to drink and drive.
The Department of Transport was also considering measures to introduce a point demerit system, which will see serial offenders losing their driving licences. Zuma said this would make it difficult for serial offenders to drive on the country’s roads.
Approximately 20% of the people who die on the roads are passengers, apparently because they do not wear seat belts.
Only 2% of passengers, compared to 60% of drivers, fasten their seat belts. Drastic measures were needed to reduce road fatalities by strengthening law enforcement. Traffic officers should issue fines to motorists and passengers who do not use their seat belts.
“There are still many unroadworthy vehicles driving on our roads. Law enforcement agencies should do their work and impound those vehicles,” Zuma said.
He added that all road users should remember that not obeying the rules of the road is a crime like any other crime. Government would not hesitate to consider further stringent measures to enforce compliance with the law.
As part of the campaign to improve safety on the road, government will improve the different modes of public transport. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) will soon procure new trains. This will go a long way to improve the passenger rail system.
About 7 000 new coaches will be procured over the next 20 years, bringing a new experience to many users of public transport. PRASA will also revamp its signalling infrastructure to improve safety and disseminate information about the scheduling of trains.
Zuma told the congregation that government values the role played by the mini bus taxis and bus operators to transport people to different destinations.
“We call upon the public transport associations to help us ensure that their members comply with the rules of the road.
“It is the responsibility of every road user to guarantee that their vehicles are always in good condition and do not ‘cut corners’ at the expense of the public's safety”.
As the Easter Holiday approaches, South Africans who will be travelling to different destinations are urged to obey the rules of the road.
Motorists, in particular, should ensure that their vehicles are in good condition before undertaking journeys. – SAnews.gov.za
