We need zero-tolerance

THE editorial titled “Carnage on roads remains untenable” (Herald 6th January 2014) has reference.

A large part of the problem of our unabated road carnage is the lack of adequate management of driver training and testing at provincial and municipal testing stations.

This results in motorists resorting to buying drivers licences.

The problem is further exacerbated by driving licence applicants having to book months in advance for a drivers licence test at our municipal and provincial driving testing stations.

This results in impatience by applicants who allegedly often resort to purchasing drivers licences from unscrupulous persons within municipal and provincial traffic departments and from other sources.

I have raised this issue in the portfolio committee of transport in the provincial legislature and will continue to request additional funding to stamp out this scourge of the issuing of illegal drivers licences.

I do not believe the provincial department of transport is aware of the extent and seriousness of this problem in the province.

What is needed is a multi-faceted zero-tolerance approach as is being successfully implemented in the “Safely Home” campaign in the Western Cape.

This province has set a target of a 35% reduction in road fatalities until 2014 and currently the campaign is succeeding to meet this target deadline.

No driver awareness or road safety campaigns will be successful unless there are adequately trained motorists who understand the rules of the road coupled with effectively resourced and effective law enforcement on our provincial roads.