Call to seize drivers’ cellphones

Business asks traffic officers to act on illegal usage

BUSINESS stakeholders in Buffalo City Metro want traffic officers to confiscate the cellphones of drivers caught using them behind the wheel of a moving vehicle.

The stakeholders – members of the Border-Kei Chamber of Business (BKCOB) – submitted the request as part of their development needs and priorities for the metro’s 2016 to 2021 Integrated Development Plan.

In a report submitted in council recently, BKCOB, which boasts 700 members, said BCM law-enforcement officials should adopt the same attitude as the City of Cape Town – anyone found using their cellphones while driving a vehicle would have them confiscated and receive a fine.

“The law enforcement of by-laws regarding driving while using a mobile phone should be reviewed and upgraded to what Cape Town does, confiscation of mobile device and return only on payment of a release charge and above the fine,” the report read.

The chamber said uncollected phones in Cape Town were reset, repurposed and issued to community police forums.

“BCM law enforcement closes at 10pm and it appears that call-centre staff required training on dealing with customer complaints,” the chamber said.

“So law enforcement is non-existent between 10pm and 7am the following day, whereas it should be a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week service provided in conjunction with SA Police Service and with proper training of law-enforcement officers, who should know all of the day by-laws and how to enforce them and not enforce them selectively.”

The requests were noted in council.

BCM mayor Xola Pakati said the issue of confiscating cellphones would be considered if found to be within the law.

“People know that using cellphones while driving is one of the biggest contributors that cause accidents, people know it is wrong, but they choose to continue. We will look into the request,” he said.

BKCOB members further complained that the metro’s traffic control unit was “hopelessly understaffed”.

“In accordance with worldwide experience, feet on the ground are effective at reducing overall infringements; instead, while one group of traffic officers are trying to control Buffalo Street, there is little or no control elsewhere simply because there are no officers available,” the stakeholders complained.

The chamber said BCM should also adopt the use of fixed systems such as those being piloted in Cape Town.

These had the ability to flag infringements such as driving across red traffic lights, not stopping at orange traffic lights and speeding at critical intersections, all of which would improve traffic management. —