 
MEDIA STATEMENT
KZN ACHIEVES 17,95% REDUCTION IN ROAD FATALITIES DURING DECEMBERAs the holiday season draws to an end, traffic officials in KZN will return their focus to Operation Juggernaut, concentrating on freight vehicles, busses and taxis, and overall public transport. In the aftermath of two bus crashes this week, KZN MEC for Transport S'bu Ndebele has asked his officials to place a more stringent emphasis on enforcement and has ordered random blitzes of bus and taxi depots. Tomorrow, as part of this campaign, MEC Ndebele will visit a roadblock outside Durban at 08h00, organised by the Public Transport Enforcement Unit (PTEU), which has recorded an almost 200 percent enforcement record for this year compared to 2002. He will later, at 11h00 proceed to the Enyanga Lower Primary School at Kwa Mpande, outside Pietermartizburg to attend the memorial service for the victims of the Sweetwater's bus crash. (Media are invited to attend both these events). MEC Ndebele repeated his plea to public transport owners and passengers: "It is my only desire that each traveller reaches their destination safely. The roads are expected to be busy this weekend. My plea is for patience on the roads. For bus and taxi owners to show responsibility and morality to their customers by ensuring they have safe journeys," Ndebele said. "Traffic officials will come in full force. We are not shy about pulling off busses and taxis which are not roadworthy. It's enough that we have to deal with speedsters, people driving without licences and jaywalking pedestrians. But public transport vehicles that are death traps will not be allowed on the roads. That I promise," said Ndebele. This week, with schools in Gauteng opening next week and the wet and rainy weather predicted for KwaZulu-Natal, we have seen an early exodus of holidaymakers. Workers return to work during this time and with the African National Congress rally in Pietermartizburg, traffic officials have called on those commuting supporters to do so responsibly and safely. Nationally, and provincially there has been a reduction of road fatalities during December compared to the same period the previous year. Estimated national figures for December show that 1 181 people lost their lives in 928 crashes compared to 1 217 fatalities in 976 crashes in December 2002. This has been attributed to a number of factors including the high level visibility of law enforcement officers, Operation Juggernaut and the lights on campaign. For KZN the figures are as follows: COMPARATIVE FATAL ROAD CRASHES - KZN: SUMMER HOLIDAYS PERIOD: 1 DECEMBER TO 31 December, 2003
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