Three-year safety campaign launched Dolly Mokgatle . . . ‘Stop, look and listen when you get to a railway crossing.’ Leonard Neill TRUCK DRIVERS have come under fire from Spoornet’s new chief executive, Dolly Mokgatle, for their disregard of safety at level crossings. Speaking at the launch of Spoornet’s crime and safety campaign in Johannesburg last week, Mokgatle said that during 2002/03 four Spoornet employees were among the 27 people who died in 126 level crossing accidents. In each case damage to infrastructure was extensive. “Drivers fail to stop and give way to trains. In some amazing cases drivers, especially truck drivers, have attempted to race against trains to their horrific detriment. “In cases where they themselves have not been killed, our train drivers have. Each time an accident occurs, our drivers have to undergo intense trauma counselling before they can resume their duties. “I appeal to truck drivers and other motorists to respect trains. You may think that a train travels at a slow speed. You are wrong. It is fast and deadly. Please stop, look and listen when you get to a railway crossing. You will not regret that decision.” The 3-year campaign will cost R10million a year.
