Sne Masuku

Sne Masuku

Motorists travelling on the N2 near Park Rynie, on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, yesterday had a bitter taste of how traffic offenders would be dealt with this festive season.

This was during the launch of the summer holiday road safety initiative in Park Rynie.

Police, together with transport, community safety and liaison MEC Bheki Cele, had as early as 9am arrested one drunk driver, recovered one stolen minibus taxi, impounded two unroadworthy minibuses and confiscated two bags of dagga hidden in a bus.

The two impounded minibus taxis were the first to be subjected to an on-the-spot roadworthiness test using the newly introduced mobile brake roller tester worth R1,5million.

Both taxis failed the test.

The machine was manufactured in Australia, and it is the first of its kind in South Africa.

"This exercise is not meant to victimise the commuters, but it is to prevent road disasters. The taxi you were travelling in had worn-out brake pads.

"The delay is nothing compared to people losing lives," Cele told commuters in the impounded taxis.