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COSATU welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s assenting to the National Road Traffic Amendment Bill

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes President Cyril Ramaphosa’s assenting to the important National Road Traffic Amendment Bill.  This is a progressive overhaul by government led by the African National Congress of our traffic legislation.  Every year 14 000 people on average die unnecessarily on South Africa’s roads due to reckless driving and other behaviours; 40% of road accidents are related to alcohol consumption.  Others are due to unroadworthy vehicles or persons who should never have received driver’s licenses to begin with. 

The condition and safety of roads suffers from overloaded trucks putting drivers and commuters’ lives at risk and costing the state billions that it cannot afford.  These have resulted in a Road Accident Fund with liabilities now exceeding R400 billion; further burdening the fiscus, bleeding workers and hindering economic growth.

This long-sought Amendment Act provides critical interventions with its clauses providing for amongst others:

  • Regulating and providing clear standards for driving schools, testing centres and weighbridges.
  • Prohibiting traffic and testing officials from having financial interests in their areas of supervision.
  • Empowering traffic officials to impound unroadworthy vehicles.
  • Providing clear and strict conditions on the driving of emergency vehicles and that these must be related to preventing loss of life or other real emergencies not indulging tardy politicians. 

Whilst supporting this progressive Amendment Act, COSATU is deeply disappointed the 6th Parliament shamefully deleted a badly needed clause providing for a total ban or at least a reduction in the permissible alcohol level in drivers’ blood.  The current allowance for alcohol in the blood stream is clearly insufficient given the horrendous levels of drinking and driving.  It is beyond unhelpful the 6th Parliament recklessly removed this progressive clause. 

COSATU urges 7th Parliament to revisit the proposed total ban on drinking and driving and to reinsert this critical clause in the Act.  We cannot afford to continue to treat society’s ills with kid gloves.  There is space for a well-regulated liquor industry, but we should not continue to normalise the over consumption and abuse of alcohol that sends thousands to premature deaths every year.

Whilst the Amendment Act is long overdue, it will remain a mirage unless government capacitates municipalities where the bulk of traffic management resides.  Laws cannot be enforced by under an resourced public service or dysfunctional municipalities or meek platitudes.  The state must also put in place measures to prevent these necessary powers from being abused by any corrupt persons. 

Issued by COSATU

Matthew Parks (COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator)

Mobile: 082 785 0687

Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za