NORTH WEST TRAFFIC POLICE GIVEN NEW VEHICLES TO HEIGHTEN VISIBILITY FOR FESTIVE SEASON

POTCHEFSTROOM – The MEC responsible for the North West Department for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng says all road users without exception will be expected to comply with traffic regulations. Those who will be caught bending the rules will face the wrath of the law. MEC Morweng said this when handing over new thirty-seven vehicles to traffic officers to ensure visibility on all arterial routes in the Province.

The handing over of the vehicles followed a joint inter-Provincial law enforcement operation with Gauteng Province just outside Potchefstroom led by Minister of Transport, Barbara Creecy. Alongside MEC Morweng accompanying the Minister, were Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela and North West MEC for Public Works and Roads, Elizabeth Mokua.

“If we are to reduce road fatalities, we have to be intentional in our approach. There must be a zero tolerance to all infractions however innocuous they may be”, said MEC Morweng.

“We are giving you these new 37 high-powered vehicles to specifically patrol and ensure visibility on N4, N12, N14 and N18. Patrols must also include all regional roads in the Province. The target is to be visible especially during night which statistics have indicated record major crashes”, said MEC Morweng.

The vehicles will enable traffic officers to efficiently patrol roads that have previously experienced not only high traffic volume but fatal accidents as well. The elite traffic policing unit, will patrol N4 from Brits Toll Plaza which marks the boundary with Gauteng, all the way down to Skilpadhek which marks the border with neighbouring Botswana. Same paroling will be on N12, N14, N18, R24, R30, R49 and R510

Since Monday, the 1st of December 2025, most of the fines issued for traffic offences ranged from drunk driving, speeding and reckless and negligent driving. Some of the drivers who were stopped had outstanding warrants of arrests against their traffic fines that they had ignored to pay.

“Traffic officers must clampdown on lawlessness on the road because previous records show that fatalities are as a direct result of excessive speeding, brazen disregard for the law and senseless recklessness”, said MEC Morweng.

In the Third quarter, from September 2025, registered vehicles in the country had increased to thirteen million, six hundred forty-six thousand and twenty-nine (13 646 029) vehicles. Of these, six hundred and eighty-four thousand (684 000) were registered in the North West. Given that the Province is both thoroughfare for SADC and other Provinces, traffic is expected to heighten as holidaymakers will be coming to or passing through the Province.

“This will add more pressure on the traffic officers and congestion on the roads during peak travel periods is also expected. Added to that, inclement weather as we are in rainy season will also pressure them more. We therefore are appealing to all motorists to work with us. Those that will be in contravention of the law will find us uncompromising”, said MEC Morweng.

ENDS!!!

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY SAFETY AND TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT