The traffic department wants to introduce these new policies on SA roads

Transport Minister Blade Nzimande has announced a number of new traffic policies expected to be introduced within the next 12 months.

Speaking as part of his departmental budget vote on Friday (18 May), Nzimande said that the projects are in line with the National Transport Master Plan (NATMAP) 2050, which aims to transform the transport system to support economic growth and development in South Africa.

“We shall carry out these projects within the context of a policy aimed at building a strong and growing economy, which will benefit all our people,” Nzimande said.

One of these new measures will be an increase the number of law enforcement officers on public roads in the current financial year, Nzimande said.

“The department will advocate that law enforcement be declared an essential service, to ensure availability of traffic officers on a 24/7 schedule on the country’s roads,” he said.

“The idea behind declaring traffic jobs an essential service and introducing around-the-clock shifts was to ensure visibility of traffic officers on the roads.

He added that a ministerial task team, consisting officials from the Department of Justice, the National Prosecuting Authority and the Road Traffic Management Corporation, has been established to review current legislation and to reclassify traffic violations from Schedule 5.

Other projects that Nzimande said would receive focus on in the coming year include the R1.1 billion upgrade of the R573 Moloto Road, known as the infamous “road of death”, which traverses Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.

He also indicated that the ‘demerit’ system will be implemented nationally as part of the rollout that is envisaged to take place after the promulgation of the AARTO Act.

The system which will docks points from the licences of drivers who contravene traffic rules is currently being heard as part of provincial public hearings around the country.

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