DoT takes action to address road carnage

A technical committee was
currently finalising proposals
to update the K53 manual for
drivers’ and learners’ licence
tests for light and heavy
duty commercial vehicles,
Minister of Transport
Dipuo Peters told parliament
yesterday.
She was reacting to
a question raised by
the Shadow Minister of
Transport, Manny de
Freitas, who is known for
criticising Peters for a “lack
of accountability for the rise
of road accidents every year”.
“The Department of
Transport (DoT) and its
entities, such as the¢Road
Traffic Management
Corporation¢(RTMC), make
the right noises but lack true
action in dealing with the
carnage and high death rate
on our roads,” he said.
The current K53 manuals,
implemented as part of the
National Road Traffic act
1996, have come under fire of
late for not being aligned to
internationally proven road
safety methods and for the
number of unsafe drivers and
unroadworthy vehicles on the
country’s roads.
The latest accident at
the notorious Fields Hill
intersection in Pinetown,
KwaZulu Natal – in which 13
people were injured when a
truck carrying a load of steel
ploughed into three other
vehicles on Wednesday last
week – has been blamed on
unconfirmed reports that
the vehicle had actually been
taken off the roads because it
wasn’t roadworthy.
Peters pointed out that the
K53 review would include
updates and improvements
suggested by examiners, the
driving school industry, and
the general public.
“Once the proposals
have been finalised the
amendments will be
published in the Government
Gazette for public comment,”
said Peters, adding that
workshops would be held
across the country, and
consultations would involve
the transport department, the
driver technical committee,
driving schools, instructors,
and any other interested
parties.
According to a spokesperson
at the DoT, no specific date for
finalisation of the amendments
has been set but he told FTW
that the proposals were “close
to completion”.
Chairman of the Justice
Project South Africa, Howard
Dembovsky, believes the K53
in its current form does not
cater for realistic defensive
driving techniques, as well
as modern advancements in
new vehicles such as anti-lock
braking systems (ABS), park
distance control and assisted
hill starts.¢
“The K53 was introduced in
South Africa when it was being
ditched by other countries, like
the United Kingdom. As long
as the people ‘revamping’ the
programme are experts, then
we look forward to a more
modern and more effective
training regime,” he said.
CAPTION
The Fields Hill accident scene last week.
Photo: African News Agency