Dreaming of a festive season when no lives are lost on the road

Tshwane Chief of Police Lieutenant-General Johanna Nkomo has a vision – to get through a festive season without having to count how many people lost their lives.

Speaking at the launch of the Tshwane annual festive road safety operation in Centurion, Nkomo pleaded with members of the public to take responsibility for their own safety and lives.

"I'm hoping that one day we will have a festive season and people will simply behave and follow the law. I'm hoping that one day we won't be counting the people that died during the festive season. I'm hoping that that time will come in my lifetime," Nkomo said.

He said the silly season required law enforcement agencies to do things out of the ordinary by mobilising more time and resources towards road safety.

"We shouldn't be spending more money that we do not have because it's a festive season."

Read: Number of crashes up, but fatalities down on N3 for 2018

Tshwane Mayor Solly Msimanga added: "Each year the holiday spirit brings with [it] abnormal commuter volumes on most of the capital's roads as holidaymakers make their way to the various destinations."

"However, due to the reckless behaviour by some of our citizens and visitors, this time of joy turns into regrettable fatalities that could have been avoided."

"Road safety, as it is often said, is everybody's responsibility. Consistent with that appreciation, as the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department as well as the Emergency Services, we continue to create an environment that makes it possible for everyone to contribute to stabilise, reduce and ultimately eliminate road fatalities."

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Msimanga said that a zero-tolerance approach would be adopted on the roads during the festive season, similar to the stance adopted over the Easter weekend.

Officers will be deployed to all busy routes, such as the N1, N4, Moloto Road, R101, N14, R21 and Mabopane Highway to ensure police visibility and the prevention of unlawfulness on the roads.

In addition, the Tshwane Metro Police Department will focus on cable theft and by-law enforcement by visiting places of entertainment along with other roleplayers. Businesses will also be checked for compliance, Msimanga added.

"On top of this, we will visit drug hotspots and those places that sell drugs to the community and deal with them decisively."