Government to deploy 250 new traffic officers to reduce road carnage

Pretoria - Government will be deploying about 250 new traffic officers nationally to bolster their capacity to enforce road rules as well as protect and serve the nation.

Depending on the operational requirements, traffic officers will be stationed in high-need areas in order to reduce road accidents.

Speaking to SANews, Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) spokesperson, Simon Zwane, said the additional officers will increase the visibility of law enforcement officers on the road to ensure increased compliance from motorists.

“They will also ensure that as a country, we move forward to meet the target of reducing road fatalities by 50% by the year 2030,” Zwane said.

According to the government publication, the cohort of traffic officers started training in 2019 on the ground-breaking three-year National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 6, which is equivalent to a National Diploma.

“This is beyond the basic course that was offered to traffic officers before. Previously, they were given a NQF level 4, which is equivalent to a matric certificate. The course has a theoretical component and a practical component, with some of the modules accredited at institutions of higher education,” Zwane was quoted saying.

Zwane added that the officers were physically fit and will play a critical role in ensuring safety on our roads.

“We have trained them on all aspects of road safety and we think that this cohort will make a decisive impact on road fatalities and road crashes.

“Their training has been intensive and went beyond basic traffic training to include aspects of road safety, anti-crime and cross-border legislation.

“They have also been thoroughly schooled on court procedures to produce a well-rounded traffic officer, who will be able to stand on his/her to assist in the prosecution of traffic matters in court,” Zwane said.

Meanwhile, the process to recruit the next cohort is underway, as the process of short listing has commenced.

The public was invited to submit applications for a career as a traffic officer in an advertisement published last year.

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