Concerns raised as motorists disregard red robots

The City of Cape Town has expressed concern to motorists disregarding red traffic lights.

According to the Traffic Service’s, it recorded more than 2,7 million offences between July 2024 and June 2025, with a 49% rise in red-light offences in the past financial year.

‘’Road safety starts with decisions made by road users. If you speed, there is a chance that you can lose control of your vehicle. An overloaded vehicle or not wearing seatbelts puts occupants at risk. Ignore a red light and there is a chance you can cause a collision or hit a pedestrian. Similarly, jaywalking or walking while inebriated can put pedestrians in harm's way. Despite these very real risks, and the thousands of incidents on our roads every month, the annual traffic statistics continue to point in the wrong direction,’’ said JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security.

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Speeding remains a common thread (1 840 601 offences), but traffic officers also recorded an increase in transgressions in a number of other categories, including:

·        49% increase in motorists 'jumping' red lights

·        30,3% increase in driving offences

·        15,1% increase in overloading

Officers also made 2 272 arrests - 1 638 for drunk driving (72%), 259 for reckless and negligent driving (11%) and 375 (17%) for various other transgressions including murder, possession of stolen goods, providing false information and robbery.

The Traffic Service pound recorded 12 224 impoundments in the last year, between City and Provincial Traffic Services, of minibus taxis, e-hailing vehicles, amaphela and buses.

‘’Traffic enforcement is a highly contentious and emotive issue, and the biggest critics are often the biggest culprits. The argument about soft targets is old and frankly disrespectful to anyone who has experienced the tragic consequences that flow from the many transgressions on our roads. The fact is that too many people are far too comfortable breaking the law, until they are held to account or until their actions cause harm to themselves or others. Our enforcement services are doing the work, as the millions of transgressions attest, but we have limited resources, and if we're honest, much of what we deal with is the result of a lack of personal accountability,’’ said Smith.

In the past year, the Traffic Service has towed away 952 vehicles - a 61,4% increase compared to the previous year.

COURTESY: CoCT

Vehicles can be towed and impounded for parking illegally, causing an obstruction to the safe passage of other road users, or if it has been abandoned, i.e.  left on a public road in a manner that creates a danger or obstruction to traffic, or if it's left in a metered parking space, parking ground, or garage for a continuous period of seven days or more.

The towing fleet includes the vertical lift truck that was launched earlier this year. Smith says the truck has already notched up nearly 50 tows in its first few months.

 

Done By: Mitchum George