Free Vehicle Checks to Make Public Transport Safer over Festive Season

This morning (12 December 2014), I visited the Joe Gqabi Transport Interchange to tour the testing facility where City of Cape Town Traffic officials are conducting free vehicle inspections on public transport vehicles. The inspections are part of our “Public Transport Sticker Project”, which is a joint initiative of the Department of Transport and Public Works and the City of Cape Town’s Traffic Services.

The initiative is aimed at ensuring that public transport vehicles are fit to transport passengers over this festive season.

The project is implemented over the Easter and Festive Season “Exodus” periods, where many holiday-makers will be making use of public transport to travel to their destinations across the province, and beyond.

Vehicles are tested for fitness and roadworthiness, and if they are in good working order, are issued with a sticker that verifies that the vehicle has been inspected.

Last year, over December 2013 the City of Cape Town Traffic Services checked 2 148 vehicles for roadworthiness at various transport interchanges. Of these, 332 public transport vehicles failed the tests, and a total of 19 vehicles were suspended. A total of 1 977 fines were issued in respect of driver/vehicle fitness.

During December 2013 and January 2014, Provincial Traffic Services stopped 21 911 public transport vehicles, impounding 47, and suspending 71 for vehicle fitness related issues. We will be conducting more of these public transport focussed operations with an emphasis not only on vehicle fitness and possible overloading, but also on driver fitness and fatigue management.

This project and the partnership between the Western Cape Government and the City of Cape Town will undoubtedly ensure that public transport is safer for the many that will be making use of this service around this busy time.

I encourage all public transport operators to take up this opportunity to have their vehicles tested, free of charge, at the various facilities across the City, as a symbol of their commitment to ensuring their safety, as well as the safety of their passengers.