South Africa, Brits: A total of 16 undocumented people have been arrested and taken to Majakaneng Police Station during the joint law enforcement operation and road safety awareness campaign on the N4 near Bapong Traffic Control Centre in Brits.
The arrested people, who are said to be of different nationalities within the Continent, were unable to produce the required documents when requested to do so by law enforcement.
The area is known variety of criminality, including spikes laid on the road, causing punctures. Thereafter vehicle owners have reported having been mugged, especially during the night.
The N4 arterial route is the Trans Kalahari Corridor, that is being used by cargo operators to transport commercial goods from South Africa to countries up north through Botswana and Namibia.
Amongst the successes were four vehicles that were impounded vehicles and further four that were discontinued. A total of R10 000 worth of fines were issued for a variety of offences.
Nineteen drivers were fined for driving without driver’s license. In total, over two thousand and four hundred trucks were stopped and weighed at the Bapong Weighbridge. Of these trucks, over one hundred and thirty were overloaded, and operators were charged and some impounded.
Acting Director for Road Traffic Management of the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management, Zenzile Mtshengu, said they will continue with such operations to ensure that there is compliance on the roads.
“It is our responsibility as law enforcement to ensure that goods are being transported safely and people from our neighbouring countries are also able to transit without having to fear for their lives in our country. In doing so, we are strengthening relations with these countries and contributing to the growth of our country’s economy,” said Mtshengu.
The operation focused on passenger and goods overloading, targeting trucks and taxis, driver passenger safety as well as dangerous goods.