As the festive season reaches its midpoint, concerns around road and beach safety remain in sharp focus across the Eastern Cape, even as authorities report a relatively stable start to the holiday period.
Eastern Cape transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose said the department was cautiously encouraged by the absence of major road fatalities so far this season.
“The first 15 days have been fairly good compared to last year,” Binqose said.
“We haven’t had serious crashes. We hope it can remain this way.”
According to Binqose, the department has deployed more than 300 traffic officers across the province, drawn from provincial structures, national departments and local municipalities.
While a number of crashes have been recorded, he said none had resulted in multiple fatalities.
The department has, however, identified several routes that remain of particular concern during the busy travel period.
“There are roads that are of specific concern to us. These are roads such as the N2 that connect us to other provinces.
“Besides the N2, the R61 road connecting us with KZN is of serious concern to us,” Binqose said.
“Interprovincially, we are looking at the N2 from Gqeberha to Mthatha.
“This is a route that has been of serious concern recently.”
We are quite pleased by the number of arrests as a sign of visible and effective law enforcement.
— Transport spokesperson Unathi Binqose
Drunk driving remains a persistent challenge, with Binqose confirming a spike in arrests.
“In terms of drunk-driving arrests, we arrested 213 individuals last weekend.
“Yesterday [Sunday] alone, in one roadblock, we arrested four people,” he said.
“We are quite pleased by the number of arrests as a sign of visible and effective law enforcement.
“However, we are concerned that so many people are still driving under the influence of alcohol.
“We are planning to bolster our law enforcement for the remainder [of the season].”
Along the coast, popular beaches such as Nahoon have also drawn large crowds, prompting heightened safety measures.
Buffalo City ward 18 councillor Jason McDowell said beach searches were being conducted to curb alcohol consumption in public spaces.
“These searches are conducted by safety officers, SAPS and law enforcement.”
McDowell said while there had been complaints related to road safety in the Nahoon area, no major incidents had been recorded to date.
“There have been reports of vehicles veering all over the road and hitting gutters, also extreme speed and reckless driving.”
However, McDowell raised concerns about the lack of visible drunk-driving operations.
“I hope that the traffic department will organise numerous drunk-driving operations before some people lose their lives.”
He also said attempts to engage with public safety and emergency services had gone unanswered.
“Any ward councillors with beaches in their ward should be part of the process, but we have been ignored.
“If it wasn’t for Cambridge SAPS last year, the Nahoon beaches would have been left open to alcohol and lives would have been lost.”
McDowell said underage drinking incidents had also been reported.
“There have been a few incidents of youth and underage drinking at Nahoon Beach, which was eventually shut down and the individuals moved on, but not before the beach was left in an unsafe state with broken bottles and plastic left behind,” he said.
Concerns were also raised by civil society groups.
Quigney Ratepayers’ Association chair Cedric Pringle said community organisations had been sidelined in safety planning.
“We have no idea what their plans are or what they have put in place.
“We don’t know what is going to improve compared to last year because they do not sit around the table and discuss with us,” Pringle said.
“Even when we ask the councillor, they don’t even know.”
Buffalo City Metro spokesperson Bongani Fuzile said the city urged road users to prioritise safety at all times.
He said over the past weekend, authorities had arrested 44 motorists for driving under the influence.
“This is a worrying trend, especially as the municipality approaches the imigidi and festive season, a period traditionally associated with increased travel and social activities.
“We cannot overemphasise the importance of not drinking and driving.”
“Law enforcement officers will be deployed in full force throughout the festive period.
“While specific operational areas cannot be disclosed, motorists should expect increased visibility through more roadblocks, intensified patrols, and joint operations involving the SAPS, Traffic Services, Disaster Management, EMS and other safety partners.”
Fuzile said BCM was focused on prevention through visibility, proactive policing and co-ordinated enforcement, and would not tolerate irresponsible behaviour that put lives at risk.
Daily Dispatch
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