100 kg of dagga seized by WC Provincial Traffic on N2 outside George

On Monday 15 May, in the early hours of the morning, Western Cape Provincial Traffic Services seized 100 kg of dagga and arrested a driver for possession of an illegal substance during a routine vehicle inspection while on duty patrolling on the N2 outside George.

Provincial Traffic Inspectors detected the six compressed bags of dagga, with an estimated street value of R500 000, while checking a light motor vehicle driving from Wilderness towards Thembalethu. The vehicle’s registration number and licence disc also did not correspond with one another.

I am extremely proud of how our Traffic teams are making the Western Cape safer, with their 24/7, 365-days-a-year enforcement presence on our roads. Their hard work is enabled and advanced by the innovative technology and systems developed by the Western Cape Mobility Department – our Integrated Transport Hub (ITH).

The ITH improves monitoring capacity linked to various enforcement units (including the South African Police Service, provincial and local authorities, and private stakeholders), and enables the detection of crime and rapid response on roads and in communities across the province. 

Results of Western Cape Provincial Traffic Services operations: 8 to 14 May 2023

Western Cape Provincial Traffic Services implemented a total of 294 integrated roadblocks, vehicle check point and speed control operations across the Western Cape in the week of 8 to 14 May 2023, and 29 415 vehicles were stopped and checked. A total of 9 716 fines were issued for various traffic violations ranging from driver to vehicle fitness.

A total of 292 speeding offences were recorded. The highest speeds recorded this week were as follows:

• 164km/h in a 120km/h zone
• 144km/h in a 100km/h zone
• 124km/h in an 80km/h zone
• 99km/h in a 70km/h zone
• 89km/h in a 60km/h zone
• 79km/h in a 40km/h zone

Twenty-five vehicles were impounded and 195 were discontinued for being unroadworthy.

Arrests

A total of 79 arrests were made for the following offences:

• 57 x driving under the influence of alcohol.
• 3 x speeding.
• 3 x reckless and negligent driving.
• 2 x goods overloading.
• 9 x possession of fraudulent documentation.
• 1 x assaulting a traffic officer.
• 2 x obstructing or hindering an authorised officer in the execution of his/ her duty.
• 1 x inducing any authorised officer or peace officer to act in conflict with his/her duty.
• 1 x driving without a driver’s licence.

Fatalities

A total of 31 crashes occurred in the reporting period, and 41 fatalities were recorded:

• 4 x driver.
• 15 x passengers.
• 22 x pedestrians.