Cape Town - Traffic volumes are expected to pick up on all major routes in the province as normal traffic patterns and public schools are set to resume on Wednesday, bringing with them increased risks for all road users.
Transport and Public Works MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela said operational plans had been developed to deal with school opening.
He said they would be using data sets from the education department to ensure compliance of all school bus operators and to ensure vehicle and driver fitness.
“Our second operation focus is private persons transporting children to school, to ensure they do so in a safe manner. All transgressors will be dealt with severely and all illegal vehicles will be impounded,” Madikizela said.
He said the scholar transport law-enforcement operations would continue this year to regulate the function.
Safety and Security executive director Richard Bosman said the City of Cape Town’s Transport Enforcement Unit would do regular checks and patrols to ensure that operators were not in transgression of the National Road Traffic Act and that they adhered to the rules set out in the National Land Transport Act, No 5 of 2009.
“Only drivers who have valid documentation are allowed to operate such a vehicle. This includes being in possession of a valid professional driving permit (PDP).”
Bosman said parents should ensure that the vehicle had an updated roadworthy certificate. “They should also ensure that the driver has all the required documentation, including a PDP and a valid operating licence. Get to know the time schedule, pick up points and routes.”
They should get confirmation from the school that they were aware of the driver and that the school inspected the vehicle and driver documentation.
Golden Arrow Bus Services spokesperson Bronwen Dyke-Beyer said to coincide with schools opening and the end of the festive season, the full scheduled service was in operation.
Automobile Association spokesperson Layton Beard said it was critical that parents, guardians, and other drivers who transported children ensured all passengers - even those in the back seat - were properly secured in child restraints or were wearing seatbelts.
@SISONKE_MD
sisonke.mlamla@inl.co.za