CAPE TOWN – A provincial traffic officer was allegedly assaulted by a minibus taxi driver during a province-wide road safety operation that resulted in 88 arrests between 16 and 22 March.
The incident occurred on Sunday, 22 March, when a minibus taxi driver reportedly ran a red light on Old Paarl Road in Brackenfell while over the legal alcohol limit.
When traffic officers attempted to stop him, he allegedly resisted arrest and physically assaulted a female officer, leaving her with bruises, before attempting to flee.
Detained at police station
The driver was subsequently detained and handed over to Kraaifontein Police Station, where he now faces charges of reckless driving, driving under the influence, and resisting arrest.
Provincial Traffic Services conducted 257 road safety operations during the week-long crackdown, checking 38 810 vehicles across the Western Cape. The operations resulted in 88 arrests, including 50 for drunk driving, 8 584 fines for driver and vehicle offences, 38 vehicles impounded, and 168 vehicles removed from the road for serious defects. Officers also recorded 320 speeding offences.
Western Cape Minister of Mobility, Isaac Sileku, condemned the assault on the traffic officer. “Our traffic officers face big risks every day to keep our province’s roads safe, and this incident shows just how dangerous their work can be. This driver’s behaviour was completely unacceptable,” Sileku said.
He warned that enforcement would intensify during the approaching Easter period due to expected increased traffic and drunk driving risks. The operation occurred against a backdrop of ongoing road fatalities, with 21 crashes resulting in 22 deaths during the period, including 13 pedestrians.
