Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management Concerned with the Slow Progress in Rectifying Challenges found at Traffic License Departments

The North West Provincial Legislature Portfolio Committee on Community Safety and Transport Management led by Hon Mmoloki Cwaile conducted an oversight visit at the Potchefstroom Traffic Department as part of the oversight week that is currently taking place at Dr Kenneth Kaunda District.

The program kick-started on the 19 – 21 April 2023, with the purpose of strengthening oversight and public participation and to promote accountability and transparency in government.

The portfolio committee noted with concern the slow pace in rectifying challenges found at traffic license departments. This was during a meeting the committee had with senior officials in the provincial traffic department and the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management.
The Chairperson of the Committee bemoaned the department on its failure to observe and honour its mandatory obligations imposed on the department by National Road Traffic Management Act, 2009 and Occupational Health and Safety Act , 1993 which is prescriptive for employers to provide and maintain safe working environment free from health risks.

“It is non-negotiable that all traffic officers and all employees in general must have tools of trade. The traffic officers must have pool cars, firearms, bullet proof vests, alcohol testing means, torches and calibrated equipment, “The unavailability of pool cars hinders the effectiveness of traffic officers to do their work and create a safe environment for our communities,” said Hon Cwaile.

The committee also noted amongst other challenges, poor infrastructural maintenance at most traffic license departments and vehicle testing license departments in the province and advised the department to stop shifting the blame to the Department of Public Works and Roads for maintainance and repairs of traffic department buildings.

The department was advised to make their own maintenance plans with budgetary allocations and where necessary to build their own internal capacities to complement the work of the Department of Public Works and Roads. This was referring to the departments that are key role players in the delivery of infrastructure and also for the compliance with regulatory faculty of discipline applicable to individual departments.

Members of the Committee called for the swift redress of inabilities and deficiencies with regard to the Trafman system, a back up office system to help improve effectiveness of implementation of the J534 Notices in terms of section 56 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977 as amended, which may help increase revenue. The members urged department to seek effective methods to collect revenue on fines issued and to look into expired issued traffic fines that may be reviewed.

“There is a need to employ administrative personnel, groundsmen, and decentralise procurement and administrative duties to individual stations and or offices to help facilitate services nearer to the masses of our people,” said Hon Cwaile.
On issues of training, Hon Freddy Sonakile stated concerns that the department acknowledges that it has not been compliant with the Traffic Management Act, in terms of training traffic officials. “We are not running a spaza shop here, someone must account for the non compliance,” said Hon Sonakile.

He urged that the department to provide the committee with their the HR Plan as well as the Procurement and Demand Plan, to deal with issues of vacancies and shortage of uniform for traffic officers.
“We are no longer going to entertain reports with no timeframes and no responsible officials assigned to the task. We cannot be dealing with same challenges for more than 4 years,” said Hon. Sonakile.
The committee members insisted that the department must be able to succeed on transport management including traffic services as their key deliverables and improve on their performance.

Ends.

Issued by: North West Provincial Legislature: Media & Communications Unit on behalf of the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Works and Roads, Community Safety and Transport Management, Hon Mmoloki Cwaile