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The City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre logged 70 incidents of motor vehicle and pedestrian vehicle accidents this past weekend, compared to 50 the previous week. In addition, Traffic Service recorded a marked increase in traffic offences. Read more below:

‘These statistics are a source of frustration, and simply underscore our ongoing challenge in convincing road users to do better. It is not a lack of enforcement, but rather a case of personal accountability. Our Metro Police Department made 18 arrests for drunk driving in a single area (Kuils River), and on a Sunday, no less. The Traffic Service recorded a 64% increase in offences, week-on-week. Road safety is a shared responsibility, yet these statistics show very little evidence to support that. It’s of grave concern, as we head into the festive season, which is one of our busiest periods on the roads. We’ll be ramping up our operations, so I’d advise road users to change gears, or face the consequences,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

In general enforcement efforts, the City’s Traffic Service recorded 73 004 offences in the past week, compared to 44 587 the week before.

Overall arrests too were up, from 67 to 83, with 58 arrests for driving under the influence, 13 for reckless and negligent driving and 12 for various other charges.

The Traffic Service impounded 244 public transport vehicles and executed 3 026 warrants of arrest.

Metro Police officers made 104 arrests, including 22 for driving under the influence, and issued 3 600 fines for various transgressions. 

Their Law Enforcement counterparts conducted 641 operations, issued 3 505 notices for various transgressions, and made 208 arrests.

PUBLIC EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION CENTRE (PECC)

Over the past weekend, emergency call takers logged 1 932 incidents – a slight drop from 1 971 the previous weekend.

The number of calls related to interpersonal violence remained fairly static weekend-on-weekend, but the centre noticed a marked increase in road accidents, from 50 to 70. 

The number of fire-related calls also increased, from 41 last weekend to 61.

Issued by The City of Cape Town