Cape Town, South Africa: The enforcement agencies of the city of Cape Town arrested 409 people during the last week. As per authorities, the majority of these included people who were arrested for driving while intoxicated.
As per the official data, the number of arrests in relation to traffic crimes has doubled. City’s Traffic Services recorded 36,392 speeding offences in the past week and reported 23,980 fines for several traffic violations.
As per the sources, the officers impounded 238 vehicles and executed 1,932 warrants of arrest and recorded 136 arrests for the following cases:
- 1o cases for reckless and negligent driving
- 115 cases of driving while intoxicated (DWI)
- 11 cases were registered for several other transgressions, which included possession of a stolen vehicle, false documentation and assault of an officer.
Member of Mayoral Committee for Safety and Security – Alderman JP Smith said that they have given people a considerable warning about their actions.
He quoted that those who will continue to behave badly will learn that while it is festive outside, it’s not so festive behind bars.
The minister said, “Our staff are working for long hours to enforce the law and keep the public safe. The ongoing disregard for the law by some is making their jobs even more difficult.”
“On a more positive note, I am enthused by the number of long-distance operators who have made use of our free vehicle checks as part of Operation Exodus. As we head into the last week, I want to encourage more operators to make use of the opportunity because their actions can save lives,” added JP Smith.
Operation Exodus was launched on Friday, December 08, 2023, and since then, the vehicle examiners of the city have checked approximately 1,082 long-distance public transport vehicles with a pass rate of 87%.
Reportedly, the associated vehicle checkpoints in the region of public transport interchanges stopped 1,776 vehicles and issued 8,689 fines to a range of vehicles which were defective or had broken the law.