Traffic officers in Johannesburg and Cape Town are intensifying efforts to make roads safe this festive season.
Motorists travelling in Johannesburg this festive season could see a high frequency of traffic stops and speeding traps as authorities implement a high-density operational plan across the city. The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department told MyBroadband that it has fully aligned with the national "Safer Festive Season Campaign" and Gauteng's joint enforcement mandates.
"JMPD will implement a high-density, integrated operational plan across all regions of Johannesburg, focusing heavily on visible policing, especially during peak travel times and high-risk periods," it said. "The JMPD plans to significantly increase the frequency and duration of multi-disciplinary roadblocks during the festive season." It added that its roadblocks, or vehicle checkpoints, will be conducted in partnership with the Road Traffic Management Corporation, the Gauteng Traffic Police, and the South African Police Service. "Roadblocks will be strategically positioned on key national routes and central urban arteries to ensure maximum impact on both compliance and crime prevention," the JMPD said. "The presence of these roadblocks will serve as a strong deterrent to crime and irresponsible road behaviour." The police department aims to tackle speeding and reckless driving through fixed-point and mobile speed enforcement technologies. Its plans include an intensified deployment of manned speed traps. "The deployment schedule has been adjusted to ensure 24/7 enforcement visibility on high-volume routes," it said. "This includes dedicated units focused on manned speed enforcement to immediately address and process drivers caught for excessive speeds." It added that its zero-tolerance approach is in direct response to data indicating that high speeds and disregard for road rules are major contributors to fatal crashes. Moreover, the JMPD said its goal isn't just revenue collection, but to fundamentally alter driving behaviour through consistent, visible, and aggressive enforcement actions against offenders. To tackle driving under the influence , traffic officers will set up sobriety checkpoints across Johannesburg's major arterial and suburban routes to remove intoxicated drivers from the roads. "DUI arrests remain a core metric of our enforcement success in preventing road carnage," the JMPD said. Its campaign will also focus on vehicle and driver fitness through regularly-enforced compliance checks targeting unroadworthy vehicles, invalid licences, and public transport operators without permits.Cape Town's spokesperson for traffic services, Kevin Jacobs, told MyBroadband that the metro's Safety and Security Directorate proactively coordinates and implements the festive season safety plan. "The traffic services will be on patrol on a 24/7 basis during the festive season as part of the City's Festive Season safety plan," he said. "The specialised Highway Patrol Unit will also be out on patrol to ensure a safe road environment and to assist motorists on the highways." Jacob's said the metro's safety plan not only focuses on road safety in the city, but also on road safety for long-distance travellers. The festive season is often a time of carnage on South Africa's roads. In 2024, the year-end period saw 1,502 deaths recorded on the country's roads. This represented a 5.3% year-on-year increase, or 70 more fatalities than were recorded in the same period in 2023. Transport minister Barbara Creecy said poor driving behaviours, including speeding, reckless driving, and driving under the influence, significantly contributed to the carnage on South Africa's roads. However, she also noted that traffic authorities found 16,527 vehicles to be unroadworthy during their checks in the 2024 festive season. Traffic authorities conducted over 1,000 roadblocks on South African roads during the year-end period last year, and issued 7,100 fines for infringements.Industry News
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