Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela has led the latest Easter Road Safety campaign during a visit to the Park Station.
Image: Gauteng Roads and Transport X Account
Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, has warned Gauteng road users against drinking and driving as well as drinking and walking, saying those who walk drunk contribute to the high number of fatalities on the roads.
Diale-Tlabela called for increased awareness and vigilance on the roads as the country enters the Easter weekend. Leading the province's Easter Road Safety campaign on Thursday, Diale-Tlabela made a visit to Park Station, South Africa's biggest railway hub, which sees over 16 million passengers annually.
With several road fatalities attributed to drinking and driving as well as drinking and walking, the MEC called on all road users to take collective responsibility and urged them to call each other out to prevent unnecessary fatalities.
"As drivers and road users, let us call each other out and take collective responsibility. We encourage people to drink at home and drink and sleep. So, we are saying, do not drink and drive, don’t drink and walk, as we are losing a lot of lives on our roads; it's impacting badly on us as a society and as different families," she emphasised.
As the Easter weekend approaches, wellness on Gauteng's roads has become a pressing issue, with traffic volumes expected to surge as holidaymakers and churchgoers embark on their journeys.
Image: Supplied
The MEC's stern warning to pedestrians and motorists comes as traffic volumes are anticipated to increase significantly as holidaymakers, travellers, and church congregants embark on various activities, including religious pilgrimages during the long weekend.
Diale-Tlabela warned against carelessness, saying that law enforcement agencies in the province would be in full force to ensure everyone reaches their destination safely. She said that whether road users are reuniting with family or journeying to a place of worship, road safety is a shared responsibility.
She said she is confident that the situation on the roads will improve following the recent decrease in fatalities, nationally and in the province.
Nationally, last year, the country saw a 45.6% (from 307 to 167) decline in road fatalities compared to 2024, while provincially, Gauteng welcomed a 42% decline in road fatalities.
On the impact of road infrastructure on fatalities and accidents, Diale-Tlabela said more than half of road fatalities are due to driver behaviour and fatigue on the roads.
siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za