Road Safety Campaign Concludes Festive Season

Law enforcement tightens the belt as road safety campaign marks end of festive season

The Gauteng Transport Inspectorate (GTI) made sure to send through a clear and con cise message to road users at the start of 2026 in honour of Gauteng’s provincial road safety campaign – E Thoma Ka Wena – It Starts with You! During the first week of January, GTI, alongside officers from the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), held rigorous stop-and-go search operations throughout the province. This resulted in 391 handwritten notices and 690 e-force in fringements issued. GTI spokesperson, King Mthombeni, confirmed that 48 vehicles were discontin ued, seven were impounded, and nine ar rests were made, with eight being for drunk driving. “Public transport compliance re mained a priority, with enforcement reveal ing 90 mini-buses operating without licence discs, 62 drivers without valid driving li cences, and 22 mini-buses discontinued for critical safety defects,” said Mthombeni. MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, applauded the officers of GTI for their unwavering commitment to road safety during the New Year crossover. “These results demonstrate that our ze ro-tolerance approach continues into 2026. We are encouraged by the visible impact of the E Thoma Ka Wena campaign, but en forcement alone is not enough. Every road user must take personal responsibility for safety. It starts with you,” said Diale-Tlab ela. She further stipulated that these opera tions were part of the national 365-day Ar rive Alive Road Safety campaign. The cam paign focuses on education and awareness, law enforcement, and community engage ment and is aimed at promoting safer road user behaviour throughout the year. Furthermore, GTI recorded that Johan nesburg recorded the highest enforcement activity, with 2 825 e-force infringements, 186 vehicles discontinued, and 39 vehicles impounded. Tshwane issued 914 handwritten notices, recorded 1 311 e-force infringements, and discontinued 155 vehicles, and Ekurhuleni saw 35 arrests, 35 impoundments and 69 vehicles discontinued, while a further 15 arrests were recorded in Sedibeng. GTI also cracked down on public trans port, revealing a serious non-compliance issue. Officers found 498 mini-buses op erating without licence discs, 629 drivers without valid driving licences, and discon tinued 358 mini-buses for critical defects. MEC Diale-Tlabela showed serious con cern about the matter and realised that a f irmer stance should be taken against unsafe and illegal operations. “These outcomes demonstrate our ze ro-tolerance approach to lawlessness on our roads. Operators who endanger commuters through non-compliance will be dealt with decisively,” said Diale-Tlabela. “We call on commuters to use licensed and compliant public transport only. Road safety is a shared responsibility. E Thoma Ka Wena! It Starts With you,” the MEC said.