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The DA is gathering support for a petition that was launched by the community to get the Kathu traffic office fully functioning again.

An oversight inspection with the municipal portfolio committee in January, revealed serious management and operational flaws. Ten months down the line, services are worse than ever.

There has been no provision of uniforms for traffic officers for more than two years, with two traffic officers never having received a single set of uniforms.

The Vehicle Testing System (VTS), which was upgraded earlier this year, is not operating. Promises made five months ago, that it would be operating within two weeks, never materialised. The municipality is losing revenue despite the many vehicles from mines in the vicinity requiring this service.

A decision was taken by the portfolio committee, that all people visiting the traffic office who cannot be assisted should receive a reference number and be placed on a register. The decision is flatly ignored. Residents take a day’s leave to visit the traffic office only to get sent away because only the first 30 clients are assisted.

An oversight inspection this month, further revealed that the booking and testing of learners’ and drivers’ licenses is dependent on the availability of the manager.

In addition, only one fines book is available and no traffic officers are attending to accidents.

The manager is clearly reluctant to take ownership of the traffic office. Staff are frustrated and morale is low.

Our concerns have been discussed in committee meetings and letters written to the Speaker, Mayor and Acting Director. The manager was even called in by the Speaker but still no resolutions are implemented.

The DA is now collecting signatures from the community to place more pressure on the municipality to implement consequence management and restore traffic-related service delivery.

The traffic office requires a dedicated manager who cares about traffic services being implemented, while residents deserve a fully functional traffic office.

Issued by Henriette du Plessis, Cllr - DA Caucus Leader in Gamagara municipality