Address by President Zuma at the memorial service of the victims of De Doorns bus accident, Khayelitsha Stadium, Western Cape

Minister of Transport and other Ministers and Deputy Ministers,

Pastor Ximbi and members of the congregation of the 12th Apostolic Church in Christ,

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen

On behalf of the government and the people of South Africa, I wish to pay my heartfelt condolences to the congregation of the 12th Apostolic Church in Christ, the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the tragic bus accident on 15 March 2013 in the De Doorns area here in the Western Cape Province.

On that fateful day, 23 bus passengers who were travelling from their place of worship met their untimely death, as a result of the bus veering and capsizing and coming to rest on its left side on the concrete culvert and against a rock surface.

The Government shares your sorrow; your grief is our grief. We remain concerned by the high number of people who die tragically on our roads.

The law enforcement agencies are investigating the cause of the bus accident. There is a preliminary report. Once the report is finalised, we will be informed about the contributory factors that led to the fateful event.

Given the number of people who die each day on our roads, the Department of Transport’s campaign to promote road safety continue to be of great importance. All of us should participate actively to promote road safety.

We are all affected by this challenge. The Department of Transport will continue to implement its public awareness and road safety education campaigns to heighten awareness of the rules of the road and the consequences of bad driving.

South Africa has a rich history of mass mobilisation which was an important pillar in the struggle against apartheid.

Working together we can confront the scourge of fatalities on our roads.

Our messages should be clear and targeted to address all the causes of road fatalities which include:

. Drinking and driving;

. Pedestrians walking on the road while intoxicated,

. Road unworthy vehicles,

. Dangerous overtaking, and

. Drivers and passengers not using seatbelts.

With respect to drinking and driving, various government departments are considering banning alcohol advertisements and the abolition of the current alcohol limit which allows people to drive after taking a limited amount of alcohol.

Probing questions are being asked about the advisability of allowing people to drink and drive.

The Department of Transport is also considering measures to introduce a point demerit system which will see serial offenders losing their driving licences. This will make it difficult for serial offenders to drive on our roads.

Approximately 20 % of the people who die on our roads are passengers, largely because they do not wear seat belts.

Only 2% of passengers compared to 60% of the drivers fasten their seat belts. Drastic measures are needed to reduce road fatalities by strengthening law enforcement. Traffic officers should issue fines to motorists and passengers who do not use their seat belts.

There are still many unroadworthy vehicles driving on our roads.

Law enforcement agencies should do their work and impound those vehicles.

All road users should remember that not obeying the rules of the road is a crime like any other crime. Government will not hesitate to consider further stringent measures to enforce compliance with the law.

As part of the campaign to improve safety on the road, government will improve the different modes of public transport. The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) will soon procure new trains. This will go a long way to improve the passenger rail system.

About 7000 new coaches will be procured over the next twenty years bringing a new experience to many users of public transport. PRASA will also revamp its signalling infrastructure to improve safety and disseminate information about the scheduling of trains.

Government values the role played by the mini bus taxis and bus operators to transport people to different destinations. We call upon the public transport associations to help us ensure that their members comply with the rules of the road.

It is the responsibility of every road user to guarantee that their vehicles are always in good condition and do not ‘cut corners’ at the expense of the public safety.

As we approach the Easter Holidays, I urge all South Africans who will be travelling to different destinations to obey the rules of the road.

Motorists, in particular, should ensure that their vehicles are in good condition before undertaking journeys.

Passengers should be vigilant, and demand the best services from transport operators. All of us should live up to the theme of the road safety campaign: GET THERE, NO REGRETS!

May the souls of the departed rest in peace!

I thank you.