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Cape Town will be taking a much heavier hand to errant motorists as they begin implementing stricter laws under the amended Trafic by-law 2021.

Seeing as the threat of fines and roadblocks seems to be ineffective, the City hopes that the fear of losing one’s car might change drivers’ behaviour on our roads. Considering how many Capetonians drive, and let’s not even mention the taxis, this is going to become a major issue in the future.

Mayoral committee member for safety and security (and seemingly everything else), Alderman JP Smith, says the Traffic by-law of 2021 was passed and promulgated in 2022 in an effort to curb ‘the trend of insolence and carnage on Cape Town’s roads’.

The penalty amounts have been passed and published in the tariff schedules for the 2023 financial year, which will begin this month. This means that we are truly in for a winter of discontent.

According to Smith, the city is just trying to do what it can, with the power they have.

“I have noted comments asking why much stronger action is being taken against traffic offences by the City but that the criminal justice system seems ineffective to deal with serious and violent offences like murder and rape. The difference is that in terms of the Constitution, the City is able to make laws about traffic violations but laws pertaining to serious violent crime reside exclusively in the hands of [the] national government.”

Smith insists that ‘more effective legislation like this could save many lives and many of the tragedies we have seen on our roads recently may have been avoided if offenders had faced the consequences of their actions in this manner earlier.’ The man does make a good point as there are too many deaths at the hands of sh*tty drivers in South Africa.

Some of the more common penalties will include:

• Vehicles with missing plates or number plates not securely fixed will get fined and impounded;
• Unroadworthy vehicles, vehicles with defective lights, vehicles not up to standard as per the original SABS specifications and illegally modified will get fined and impounded;
• Unlicensed vehicles, unlicensed drivers: vehicle gets impounded;
• Failing to stop when ordered to do so, reckless and negligent driving or driving under the influence (DUI) will result in an arrest and the vehicle being impounded until court proceedings are complete.

Reading the above, it appears as if the taxis will be in for a difficult time.

Laws, by-laws, regulations, and more taxes. There are now so many rules and regulations governing South Africans that no sane person can be expected to keep track of it all. Perhaps we should just begin by teaching Capetonians that a red traffic light means stop.

Baby steps.