357 motorists arrested for drunk driving in Durban's weekend crackdown
Motorists who were arrested for alleged drunk driving being processed by Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) officers.
Image: KZN Department of Transport / Facebook
A total of 357 motorists were arrested for drunk driving across Durban during intensified weekend road safety operations conducted by the Road Traffic Inspectorate (RTI) in partnership with Durban Metro Police and the South African Police Service (SAPS).
These operations took place from Friday, January 30, to Sunday, February 1. Daily arrests were as follows: 115 on Friday, 127 on Saturday, and 115 on Sunday.
Targeted locations included uMhlanga, KwaMashu, KwaDabeka, Inanda, Umbilo, Durban Central, Newlands East, and Ntuzuma. The breakdown of arrests is as follows:
Friday, January 30:
- uMhlanga – Oceans Mall: 45
- KwaMashu: 48
- KwaDabeka: 34
- Inanda: 33
- Umbilo: 30
- Durban Central: 30
Saturday, January 31:
- Total arrests: 127 (locations not individually specified)
Sunday, February 1:
- Durban Central: 49
- Newlands East: 40
- Ntuzuma: 26
All 357 motorists are expected to appear in courts across Durban.
KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, commended the enforcement agencies for their work, noting the firm approach against drunk driving.
“The RTI Team is very firm and decisive against drunk driving,” he said.
He also commended the Durban Metro police and the SAPS for working in partnership with RTI t “clean up our road networks”.
In a related announcement, the Department of Transport has confirmed that it will host the upcoming RTI Awards, aimed at recognising excellence in traffic law enforcement and road safety operations. The awards are currently in the nomination stage.
Categories include recognition for the best-performing traffic officers in drunk driving enforcement, with separate awards for male, female, and young officers, as well as the best overall traffic officer. Operational awards will also be given for speed enforcement, heavy motor vehicle operations, and station-level performance.
The awards will further highlight regions achieving the largest reductions in road traffic crashes and fatalities, as well as excellence in administrative support.
The date and venue for the RTI Awards ceremony are yet to be announced.
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