Month reprieve for Athlone driving schools

CAPETIMES 

2016-06-03

By: Siyavuya Mzantsi

Cape Town - The driving school operators facing a ban from running their businesses at the Athlone Stadium parking area have been given a one-month reprieve.

This comes after a group of frustrated driving operators met City of Cape Town officials and Athlone Stadium management to discuss the reasons behind the ban. An agreement was reached to extend their operations, and allow business owners time to formalise themselves and establish a representative body.

The City had announced in April that driving schools would no longer utilise the parking area from June 1.

This was because there had been numerous incidences in which private property was dammed through accidents in the vicinity of the stadium, along with damage to the facility’s fencing and gates, according to Athlone ward councillor Suzette Little.

Driving schools were asked to use the busy Klipfontein Road for driving lessons as an alternative.

Driving instructor Lloyd Castle said the body will engage the stadium management to establish a formal agreement. “Trucks are a huge issue. Conditions have been specified to even allow trucks to stay until we formalise ourselves and it is in the interest of truck owners to be aware of those conditions,” said Castle.

Officials were adamant that no trucks would be allowed in this area at all, but later agreed to a concession until July 1.

“A memorandum of agreement can then be signed to take us forward and engage the City on the lease and/or management of the parking areas.

“It has been agreed that there needs to be a follow up meeting before 1 July. So for now we operate.”

Little had said residents were extremely concerned about safety in general, more especially the safety of their children.

The trucks were causing weight-bearing problems to the surface of the stadium’s parking area.

However, Little could not provide the number of complaints received from residents.

She said the fencing would be erected from July 2016.

“There will be a further meeting with the management structure to discuss tariffs, public liability, etc,” she said.

Cape Times

MORE THAN 4,500 PEOPLE KILLED ON SA ROADS IN 2014/2015

Latest figures show that 80 percent of the crash fatalities involved adults and males between of 19 and 34.

FILE: Latest figures show that 80 percent of the crash fatalities involved adults and males between of 19 and 34. Picture: ER24.

JOHANNESBURG – Transport Minister Dipuo Peters says harsher laws must be put in place if government wants to deal adequately with drunk driving and speeding on the country’s roads.
Latest figures released by the department on Friday show that 80 percent of the crash fatalities in the past year involved adults and males between the ages of 19 and 34.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) report said more than 4,500 people died on South African roads.
The minister says light passenger vehicles contributed the highest number of fatal crashes in the 2014/15 financial year, with the figure at 47 percent of all road deaths.
Minibus taxis were responsible for seven percent of road deaths.
Peters says traffic officials will increase their visibility at crash hot-spots, including the N1 between Pretoria, Polokwane and the Beitbridge border post, as well as the N2 between Somerset West and Cape Town.
“There should be periodic integrated operations focused on checking the road worthiness with fines of more than R50,000 imposed on impounded heavy vehicles and R15,000 for light vehicles. It is important that we give stiffer penalties.”

The department says drunk driving remains one of the main contributing factors to crashes.

Peters says serious action needs to be taken.

“New inexperienced drivers between the ages of 25 and 34 years of age were most likely to die on the roads. Women were most likely to die on the roads as passengers, especially in public transport vehicles, while children will be affected as passengers and pedestrians.”

The latest national road traffic data shows most fatal crashes in South Africa involve young men in light vehicles, and occur over the weekends.

Most crashes between 2014 and 2015 were recorded in Gauteng, the Western Cape and in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Meanwhile, RTMC says law makers are considering lowering the blood-alcohol limit to 0,02 grams per 100 millilitres.

It also says it’s looking at imposing a minimum two-year jail sentence for drunk driving.
The current limit is 0,05 grams per 100 millilitres, but if government has its way, it could decrease all the way to zero.

The corporation’s head Makhosini Msibi says a committee is reviewing legislation, with the aim of imposing harsher penalties

“[In] particular, schedule three offences that relate to the traffic offences, to be reclassified to schedule five. Key to it is also the minimum penalty that we are considering that people have commit, [like] driving under the influence of liquor, to a minimum sentence of two years.”

Four years after a Western Cape court ruled that the Dräger Breathalyser test be suspended, authorities are now promising to reintroduce the equipment with better laws in place by November.

In 2011 an alleged drunk driver was acquitted in a landmark test case.
This resulted in court cases across the country being withdrawn, where evidence was obtained using the Dräger test.

The transport minister says final arrangements are now under way to make sure it can be used to conduct on-the-spot tests, on motorists suspected to be driving under the influence.
(Edited by Leeto M Khoza)

‘AUTHORITIES MUST DECISIVELY DEAL WITH DRUNK DRIVING’

Peters says government is in the process of finalising the re-introduction of the draeger breathalyser test.

FILE: Transport Minister Dipuo Peters. Picture: EWN

JOHANNESBURG - Transport Minister Dipuo Peters says authorities must deal decisively with drunk driving as a committee meets to discuss the option of imposing a minimum two year jail sentence for motorists caught driving under the influence.

Lawmakers are currently considering lowering the blood-alcohol limitto 0,02 gramms per 100 milliliters instead of the current 0,05 gramms per 100 milliliters.

Peters says government is in the process of finalising the re-introduction of the draeger breathalyser test.

“The Cabinet of the Republic of South Africa led by President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday discussed the challenges that are related to drunk and driving and those who drive under some substances or drugs that alter their ability to concentrate on the roads.”

Meanwhile, The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has released its annual report for the year 2014 to 2015, showing thatmore than 4,500 people died on South African roads.

(Edited by Winnie Theletsane)

City traffic chief’s unlicensed ride

9 Sep 2015 Cape Argus

Siyabonga Kalipa STAFF REPORTER kalipa.siyabonga@inl.co.za

City traffic chief’s unlicensed ride

Cape Argus enquiry galvanises officials to launch probe

A SENIOR traffic chief in the City of Cape Town is facing disciplinary action for allegedly driving an unlicensed car – a car he parked at the traffic department in full view of his colleagues. Paul Oliver, the traffic chief for the city’s west region, has been seen driving a blue Mercedes-Benz C-Class to and from work, despite the vehicle’s licence having expired on February 28.

PICTURE: HENK KRUGEREXPIRED: The Mercedes-Benz parked inside the pits at Gallows Hill testing centre. Inset: Paul Oliver and the licence disc.

Acting on a tip-off, a team from the Cape Argus staked out the Gallows Hill traffic department last week, and spotted the unlicensed vehicle, with the expired disc still attached to the windscreen, parked in the staff parking bay at the back of the building.

The city’s executive director of Safety and Security, Richard Bosman, confirmed that the city was probing the matter and that the manager was found to be driving a car without a valid licence. The city initiated action against Oliver after the Cape Argus made enquiries about the allegations.

The ownership of the vehicle has also come into question after a source in the traffic department claimed that it was not registered in the name of Oliver or his wife.

“It appears the car is not his but belongs to someone else. The reason a licence could not be taken out on the vehicle is apparently because there was an admin mark on it – which means there are outstanding warrants under the rightful owner’s name,” another official said.

Traffic officers at Gallows Hill confirmed that Oliver had been driving the vehicle well after the licence’s expiry date.

Bosman said the vehicle’s licence had expired.

“As per normal a fine was issued to the person in question on September 4, 2015 to the value of R500. The city takes the allegations very seriously and further investigation is under way. The outcome will determine further action, including disciplinary procedure if necessary,” he said.

Mayco member for Safety and Security JP Smith said the traffic department issued a fine as soon as the matter was reported and was also initiating disciplinary proceedings.

“We have an excellent track record with discipline and this case is no exception. We acted as soon as we were made aware of the situation. Oliver should set an example as someone responsible for upholding the law.”

Oliver oversees traffic operations in the city’s area west, which includes Sea Point, Camps Bay, Clifton, Hout Bay and Fish Hoek.

The Cape Argus can also reveal that Oliver had previously been accused of using city vehicles to get to and from work when in fact he was being paid a fixed car allowance in terms of which he had to provide his own transport to get to work and back home.

Bosman confirmed that in that case Oliver “pleaded guilty and paid back the money”.

He added that Oliver had informed him that he had returned the car to its owner and would be reimbursed for the private sale.

According to traffic officers, they were asked to pick Oliver up at home and drop him at work using city vehicles.

Oliver referred requests for comment to the City of Cape Town.

‘Cockroach’ taxi shock as 44 are squashed

8 Sep 2015: Cape Times: Francesca Villette francesca.villette@inl.co.za

AN ASSOCIATION that represents more than 400 amaphela (cockroaches) taxi drivers says the City did not tell them it was going to destroy 44 impounded sedan taxis.

Picture: BRENTON GEACHCRUSHED: Unroadworthy and abandoned amaphela (cockroaches) sedan taxis were crushed at the vehicle pound in Ndabeni, near Pinelands, yesterday. Attempts were made to contact the owners, says the City.

Sedan taxis are referred to as amaphela because there are so many of them in the city.

Yesterday, the abandoned impounded taxis were reduced to blocks of scrap metal by an 18-ton crusher at the City’s vehicle pound in Ndabeni, near Pinelands.

The City’s Traffic Service destroyed the taxis, many of which were impounded between 2010 and 2012 and left unclaimed by their owners.

Mongi Titi, chairperson of the Kiki Murray Committee, which represents the drivers, said the association had not been informed about the destruction.

“The vehicles that were crushed belong to people who have been in the industry for a long time. Amaphela drivers were not included in the taxi recapitalisation programme. We have made strides in doing away with amaphelas and replacing them with new vehicles, but this comes as a major shock to us,” Titi said.

The City’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, said attempts were made to contact the owners. Operators were initially given R50 000 to scrap their old taxis. “By law, this exercise could have been done a long time ago, but space at the pound has not been an issue.”

RTMC REPORT REVEALS SHOCKING SA ROAD DEATH STATS

The RTMC has released its annual report for the year 2014 to 2015 showing over 4,500 died on SA roads.

Transport Minister Dipuo Peters at the release of the RTMC annual report, on road accidents, for the year 2014 and 2015 in Kempton Park on 11 September 2015. Picture: Mia Lindeque/EWN

JOHANNESBURG – Transport Minister Dipuo Peters says new road fatality statistics have shown 80 percent of the deaths on the country’s roads comprise of adults and males between the ages of 19 and 34.

The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has released its annual report for the year 2014 to 2015, showing that more than 4,500 people died on South African roads.

The department says drunk driving remains one of the main contributing factors to crashes.

Peters says serious action needs to be taken.

“New inexperienced drivers between the ages of 25 and 34 years of age were most likely to die on the roads. Women were most likely to die on the roads as passengers, especially in public transport vehicles, while children will be affected as passengers and pedestrians.”

The latest national road traffic data shows most fatal crashes in South Africa involve young men in light vehicles, and occur over the weekends.

The report has been released in Kempton Park today.

Most crashes between 2014 and 2015 were recorded in Gauteng, the Western Cape and in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

The minister says speed and alcohol abuse are the top two contributing factors that led to the 4,500 crashes between April and August this year.

She says 5,500 people lost their lives in those accidents.

“It's important that we give stiffer penalties, in particular, so that people can actually see and behave on the roads.”

She says analysis shows that 76 percent of the fatal crashes involved black people, while whites accounted for eight percent.

She adds drastic steps need to be taken to stop the carnage on the roads.

This report will be tabled in Parliament shortly.

(Edited by Masechaba Sefularo)

WCape carnage: 7 months, 348 pedestrians killed

2015-08-17

 

CAPE'S KILLER ROADS: More than 740 people have been killed on Western Cape roads since January 2015, more than 300 were pedestrians.Image: Shutterstock

  Video

Safely Home: Child pedestrian fatality map

2014-10-23 11:39

Western Cape MEC for transport and public works, Donald Grant, speaks on the province's, child pedestrian fatalities map.

Related Links

• W Cape shocker: 582 pedestrians killed
• Shocker as WCape highlights killer roads
• Safely Home: Child pedestrian fatality map
• WCape shocker: Child pedestrian horror clip

CAPE TOWN - The Western Cape’s provincial safety project, Safely Home, has launched a new campaign in August to highlight the dangers of speeding.

The reason for the campaign? The province reports more than 740 road deaths to date (January to July 2015).

The campaign is titled 'It won’t kill you to slow down'.

ROAD CARNAGE

Western Cape transport and public works MEC, Donald Grant, reports that from January to July 31 2014, 748 fatalities were recorded, compared to 742 road deaths during the same period in 2015.

2015 Western Cape road deaths (January - July):

Cyclist - 18
Driver  - 178
Fell off vehicle - 2
Motorcycle-pillion - 1
Motorcyclist - 33
Other - 11
Passenger - 151
Pedestrian - 348
Total - 742
'GRIM PICTURE'

The department said: "Pedestrians remain the leading class of fatality on Western Cape roads, accounting for over 40% of the deaths. Upon closer analysis, we also found that adult men are disproportionately represented in the number of road deaths, accounting for over 60% of road deaths in the Western Cape.

"Road deaths for the first seven months of 2015 have painted a grim picture of the situation on our roads, with very little change between this year’s figure compared to that of 2014."

READ: WCape 'shock tactics' - MEC Grant responds

The department says its data proves:

  • The faster you drive, the worse the crash will be due to the greater force involved.
  • The faster you drive, the higher the likelihood of you being in a crash due to having less   time to react to unexpected hazards.
  • Even small decreases in average speed travelled equals many lives saved.

SERIOUS CONCERN

Having experienced six consecutive years of decreases since 2009 (close to 30% decrease), these static and high figures are cause for major concern, reports Grant.

There is no question that speeding, along with drinking and driving, accounts for the vast majority of the road deaths, says the department.

The department said: "Safely Home is confident that the collective efforts will go a long way to encouraging motorists to slow down, by greatly reducing their likelihood of being involved in a horrific crash that results in a senseless loss of life."