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Vehicle impounding on the cards for SA offenders: Have your say...

Cape Town - The Western Cape Government has published the Draft Western Cape Provincial Road Traffic Administration Amendment Bill, 2016, for public comment.

The Bill proposes amending the Western Cape Provincial Road Traffic Administration Act, 2012, (Act 6 of 2012) to permit the impoundment of vehicles for certain serious road traffic offences, and to encourage road safety through education, promotion and research activities.

Provision to pass laws

The National Road Traffic Act, 1996 (Act 93 of 1996) (NRTA) is a comprehensive road traffic law to be implemented by the national, provincial and local spheres of government. Section 92 of the NRTA makes provision for the passing of provincial laws.

The Western Cape Provincial Road Traffic Administration Act was brought into effect in 2013 to allow vehicle licence fees to be set by the provincial minister and for such fees to be paid into the Provincial Revenue Fund and the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC).

Download the draft here.

The Western Cape Amendment Bill proposes:

1. Enabling the provincial minister to make regulations in respect of the impoundment of vehicles for certain road traffic offences. 

2. Repealing the National Road Safety Act, 1972 (Act 9 of 1972) in the Western Cape and, in its place, adding provisions to the Western Cape Provincial Road Traffic Administration Act that will facilitate the promotion of road safety through educational, promotional and research activities. 


Do you think impounding vehicles will increase road safety in the Western Cape? Email us or get in touch via Facebook and Twitter


Strict enforcement needed

Western Cape provincial Minister for Transport and Public Works, Donald Grant, said: "This move follows a policy-making process which I undertook, as the Provincial Minister for Transport and Public Works, in response to the need for more stringent actions to curb the on-going contravention of traffic laws. We have seen that in most instances, the issuing of fines has not been an effective deterrent in respect of certain offences that pose a serious threat to road safety in the province."

Grant adds: "If the proposed provisions for impoundment in respect of high-risk offences are passed, road traffic enforcement agencies in the province will be able to deal more effectively with serious transgressions of the road traffic laws. If passed, the proposed provisions in respect of road traffic safety education and promotion will also go a long way to improving road safety in the Western Cape.

"Together, these proposed amendments are expected to make a significant contribution to bringing down the unacceptably high rates of road traffic crashes, injury and deaths in the Western Cape."  

Any person or organisation wishing to comment on the Draft Amendment Bill is requested to lodge such comment in writing on or before Wednesday 12 October 2016:

(a) by post to: 

ML Watters
Chief Engineer: Land Transport
Western Cape Provincial Department of Transport and Public Works
PO Box 2603
Cape Town 
8000

(b) by e-mail to: 

malcolm.watters@westerncape.gov.za

(c) by hand to:

ML Watters
Room 3-33
3rd Floor
9 Dorp Street
Cape Town

Queries can be directed to Malcolm Watters at 021 483 2203

An electronic copy of the draft Bill is available on the Western Cape Government's website.


Do you think impounding vehicles will increase road safety in the Western Cape? Email us or get in touch via Facebook and Twitter


Readers respond:

Julie Etherton: I would suggest they start with the taxi's first. They are the biggest dangers on our roads. They risk the lives of millions of people everyday. From their passengers to other drivers and families in cars. What is been done about the taxi drivers? Why are we aiming for the man is the street?

I have a brilliant suggestion: When the taxi drivers are pulled off the road and fined, this has no impact at all as none of these fines get paid and hence the drivers continue with their shocking driving behavior. To punish a taxi driver and to ensure it has more impact I would suggest that every time a driver is pulled off the road the taxi gets impounded for a week, or two, depending on the offense. This way the driver has lost income and has "paid" for the fine and will think twice before committing further road crimes and driving illegally and risking peoples lives.

Please I beg you start with the taxi drivers first and impound their vehicles. They are the biggest danger and risk on our roads. In fact when they go to collect their vehicles they also need to pay to have the vehicle released.

Derek John: There are many cars driving around without number plates these days. I can only assume this is to avoid prosecution for road offences or to avoid detection for other more serious offences. These cars should be impounded and the drivers told to buy licence plates and produce them as proof so that their car can be released. They will only need to be inconvenienced once like this to always ensure that their number plates are affixed.


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