City Traffic Officers arrest 79 suspects, recover a stolen motorcycle and issue over 2 000 traffic fines

 

City of Cape Town Traffic Officers arrested 79 suspects, recovered a stolen motorcycle and issued over 2 000 traffic fines in city-wide operations this past week.

On Monday morning, 12 November 2012, City Traffic Services Ghost Squad Unit conducted an operation focusing on serious moving violations along Wetton Road in Wynberg. The officers arrested one minibus taxi driver for drunk driving who had 10 outstanding warrants of arrest amounting to R8 750,00 after he failed to stop when indicated to do so.

In addition, officers issued 56 traffic fines.

Roadblocks were also conducted at the following locations over the weekend, resulting in the following arrests:

Sunday 11 November 2012:

• Lansdowne Road, Khayelitsha: 30 drunk drivers (with the highest breathalyser test registering at 1,25mg of alcohol per 1 000ml of breath); and one suspect was arrested for escaping from custody. In addition officers issued 120 traffic-related fines

Friday 9 November 2012:

• Spine Road, Khayelitsha: 28 drunk drivers (with the highest breathalyser test registering at 1,42mg of alcohol per 1 000ml of breath ). In addition officers issued 28 traffic-related fines.
• Bosmansdam Road, Bothasig: 17 drunk drivers (with the highest breathalyser test registering at 1,37mg of alcohol per 1 000ml of breath).

Later that evening, officers arrested two motorists for excessive speeding and drunk driving on Plattekloof Road. One suspect was caught driving at 154km/h in a 70km/h zone. Officers gave chase and apprehended the suspect at Plattekloof and the N1. The driver was tested for drunken driving and recorded a breathalyser reading of 0,94mg of alcohol per 1 000ml of breath. The other suspect was caught driving at 131km/h in a 70km/h zone. In addition, officers issued 37 traffic-related fines.

The following speeding offences were recorded:

• 114 offences on Plattekloof Road, between Gert Van Rooyen and Bosmansdam Extension (highest speed was 154km/h)
• 51 offences on Bosmansdam Avenue, between Wieland and Giel Basson Drive (highest speed was 118km/h)

During the late afternoon peak on Thursday 8 November 2012 , officers conducted an operation along Hospital Bend as part of their ongoing enforcement plan. The operation focused on serious moving violations such as disregarding the channelising lines, overtaking on the left shoulder, and using a cellphone whilst driving.

Officers issued 1 290 traffic fines, including:

• 18 cellphones were impounded
• 274 for disobeying the channelising lines
• 28 for failure to wear safety belts
• 27 for unlicensed drivers
• 20 for unlicensed motor vehicles
• 175 speeding offences on Nelson Mandela Boulevard, between Roodebloem and Melbourne Road
• 552 speeding offences on Settlers Way, between Raapenberg and Jan Smuts
• 133 speeding offences on Table Bay Boulevard, between Lower Church and Christiaan Barnard (highest speed was 133km/h)

Later that evening, officers patrolled Prince George Drive in Grassy Park – a well-known illegal drag-racing hotspot – from 20:00 to midnight. They intercepted would-be drag-racers before they could race and suspended four vehicles for mechanical defects. In addition, officers issued 83 other traffic-related fines for unlicensed drivers, unlicensed motor vehicles and vehicle defects.

The following speeding offences were recorded:

• 101 offences on Racecourse Road, between Chukker and Lansdowne Road (highest speed was 121km/h)
• 87 offences on Vanguard Drive, between Turfhall and Klipfontein Road
• 72 offences on Jan Smuts Drive, between Lawson and Kromboom Road (highest speed was 114km/h)

Also on Thursday 8 November 2012, during a roadblock along Sir Lowry Road in Cape Town, officers were alerted by a member of the public to a suspicious person pushing a motorcycle under the bridge at the corner of Rudger and Strand Street. Upon investigation, officers found an unattended red Suzuki TL 1 000cc motorcycle and the ignition appeared to have been tampered with. After checking the E-Natis system, the motorcycle was reported as being stolen earlier that day at the Good Hope Centre in Sir Lowry Road. The matter was then handed over to the South African Police Services in Cape Town who contacted and informed the owner of the recovery of the motorcycle.