Gauteng-: The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) has commended the Mpumalanga provincial government for impounding four un-roadworthy heavy motor vehicles in Malelane.
The vehicles and their trailers had numerous defects including worn out tyres with exposed wires, expired licence discs and cracked windscreens. Authorities also discovered that one of the trucks had a licence disk of a motorbike. The case of fraud against the truck owner is being investigated.
Three of the vehicles had North West registration number plates while the fourth was from Swaziland. The trucks will not be allowed to leave Mpumalanga until the defects have been fixed and penalties have been paid.
Un-roadworthy vehicles pose a major danger to other road users as they get involved in crashes with fatal consequences for other motorists, pedestrians, passengers and cyclists.
The RTMC would like to warn truck owners that their operators’ licences would be suspended and criminal charges laid against them for failing to ensure that their vehicles are fit and in proper state to be on the roads.
Trucks have been involved in 131 major crashes in which 791 people were killed and 726 others were injured from January 2013 to May this year. The majority of fatal truck crashes were experienced in Kwa-Zulu Natal, Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape.
Vehicles related factors were identified as the second most common contributing factor in these crashes. Human error or behaviour remain the leading factor in truck crashes.
The number of un-roadworthy or un-licence vehicles in the country have also shown a remarkable increase from about 962 000 in 2013 to more 1.051 million vehicles in 2015.
Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe said “the war on road crashes can only be won if motorists comply with road rules and are also considerate towards other road users.”
He applauded the Nkomazi Municipal traffic officers for the arrests and implored them to continue working hard to bring mischievous people on the road to book.
He has further called on the members of the public to report any wrong doing to the authorities. They should also expose any corruption within the law enforcement fraternity.
Members of the public are urged to report incidents of unsafe road behaviour, bribery, fraud and corruption on 0861 400 800.
Ends
Enquiries: Simon Zwane (RTMC) – 082 551 9892
Issued by: The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).
Tel: 012 999 5200
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