Nwest extends municipal traffic boundaries and hours of operations

Traffic law enforcement and visibility are to be enhanced with the extension of municipal traffic boundaries and introduction of 24 hour shift operations in Mahikeng, Rustenburg, Tlokwe, Matlosana and Madibeng Local Municipalities. This follows the resolution adopted by the North West Provincial Executive Council (Exco) this week.

Premier Thandi Modise has expressed confidence that back to back law enforcement operations between municipal and provincial traffic should reduce road accidents and fatalities on public roads in line with the National Rolling Enforcement Plan and the Decade of Action on Action for Road Safety Campaign.

The changes endorsed by Exco on Wednesday were necessitated by the growth of traffic in the municipalities and the need to support provincial traffic on certain municipal roads.

Municipal traffic had been confined to working within an 8kilometers radius as approved in the Gazette in 2010 which limited their operation especially in attending to incidents on some of their municipal roads which stretch beyond the radius.

Most traffic departments in municipalities have been working a shift of up to 10:00pm therefore leaving roads not policed beyond that time.

Research has proven that about 65% of road accidents in the province occur as from Thursday from 3:00pm to Sundays 10:00pm.