Clamp Down on Unsafe Scholar Transport: Drunk Driver Arrested in Cape Town

In the persistent battle to augment the safety of scholar transport, the Western Cape enforcement agencies cracked down on non-compliant vehicles and reckless drivers in Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, during a safety operation overseen by Western Cape MEC of Mobility, Ricardo Mackenzie. The event unfurled in the neighbourhoods of Firgrove, Rocklands, and Tafelsig on Thursday.

The operation, involving vigilant scrutiny from the Western Cape Provincial Traffic Officers and the Provincial Regulatory Entity (PRE) in conjunction with the City of Cape Town enforcement teams, sought to ensure the operational legality and vehicular as well as driver fitness required for the safe transit of learners.

The morning's operations delivered some arresting news as MEC Mackenzie witnessed the apprehension of a driver accused of being intoxicated while discharging his duty of dropping off schoolchildren. This alarming instance highlighted the sobering reality of risks lurking in daily scholar transport. The driver's vehicle was condemned for being overloaded, warranting impoundment. Furthermore, another vehicle was seized due to the driver's lack of an operating permit and a mandatory public driving permit essential for driving children to school.

These revelations are not mere isolated incidents but are part of a systemic initiative spearheaded at the inception of the school year to curb potential traffic tragedies. Recalling the harrowing accident on May 30, 2023, which resulted in the loss of five young lives on AZ Berman Drive, Mackenzie underscored the critical importance of these operations.

Such enforcement drives follow a precedent of similar operations in Somerset and are strategically aimed at locales with a dense presence of school transport services. Authorities are bolstering their efforts to terminate the menace of unlicensed operators and drunken individuals commandeering the wheel. The injunction is clear: vehicles must possess valid operating licences tailored for learner transport services, and drivers must carry valid licences and professional driving permits (PrDP).

The requisites for a vehicle to be employed in transporting learners are stringent. They stipulate adherence to legislated safety standards and dictate that only vehicles manufactured post-September 1, 2006, are to be utilized, with the singular exception of the 2005 Toyota Quantum. Furthermore, the legislation precludes the conveyance of learners in the cargo beds of bakkies or light delivery vehicles.

As actions intensify to clamp down on dangerous transport practices, the call echoes out to the public to remain vigilant and report any form of illicit activities or perilous conduct they witness concerning scholar transportation.