'The first long weekend of the festive season is bound to be a busy one all round. Beaches, pools, and shopping malls are expected to have an influx of visitors and traffic on our roads are bound to increase.

'The City's enforcement agencies and volunteers will be out en masse to ensure the long weekend is as safe as possible. They have a zero-tolerance approach to those who insist on making - what should be a time of enjoyment – an unpleasant experience for others. At the same time, I call on residents and visitors to play their part. The festive season is a time of joy and recreation and does not need to be marred by misery or criminal activity,' said the City of Cape Town's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.  

The City’s enforcement agencies will conduct roadblocks, vehicle check points and high visibility patrols in a number of identified hotspot areas. Officers will also be deployed to a number of festive markets, events and beaches.

In addition, the City’s Metro Police Department will also continue its patrols along the N2/R300 and other highways and arterial routes to assist motorists where they’ve experienced mechanical problems or have been forced to stop along the road for any reason.

The Cape Town Traffic Service, meanwhile, starts rolling out Operation Exodus today. The project, which offers checks to long distance transport operators for both vehicle and driver fitness, will run at most public transport interchanges until Tuesday 24 December 2019.

Participation in Operation Exodus is voluntary, but traffic officers also set up vehicle checkpoints and speed checks in the vicinity of the interchanges, to ensure that officers are able to check vehicles where the operators have not submitted to the fitness checks.

After the City’s examiners have checked a vehicle, the number of passengers, driver and vehicle details are recorded on a monitoring sheet and a sticker is affixed to the vehicle’s windscreen as part of the Western Cape Government’s Sticker Project. This makes it easier for traffic officers to conduct spot checks as the vehicle travels through the province.

‘Operation Exodus is a well-established part of our festive season safety efforts and we renew our call to bus and taxi operators to do the right thing and have their vehicles checked before they embark on their journeys. They hold the lives of thousands of innocent passengers in their hands, and the vehicle check prior to departure could mean the difference between a joyous festive season for those passengers and the devastating heartache caused by the many vehicle accidents that still occur on our roads over the holidays,’ added Alderman Smith.

While the City and other agencies are working around the clock to ensure public safety, residents and visitors are reminded that it is a collective effort and that they too need to take responsibility for their own safety.

General safety tips include:

• Keep valuables such as jewellery and cameras out of sight
• Be extra vigilant when making cash withdrawals especially at ATMs
• Don't venture into unknown areas
• Let someone know where you're going and the time you expect to be back

Tips when on the road:

• Remain alert and put all valuables in the boot or out of sight
• Plan the route to your holiday destination and allow yourself enough time to reach the destination
• Make sure your vehicle is in a roadworthy condition before departure
• Always wear your seatbelt
• Don't drink and drive

'Some safety tips may seem obvious or perhaps it sounds like we're beating the same drum, but they warrant repetition as many people view the festive season as a time to throw all caution to the wind. There is a holiday spirit and everyone wants to be of good cheer. Keep a cool head and heed the warnings and instructions of enforcement staff. They are there to keep you safe and ensure your holiday memories are all good,' said Alderman Smith.

The City's Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) is the first port of call when you require assistance in an emergency, whether it is medical assistance; a fire that needs to be attended to, or assistance when your vehicle has broken down on the highway.

When you call, listen to the call taker’s questions and be aware some basic information will likely be required during a call. This includes:

• The caller’s name and contact number, in case the call drops
• The incident location (cross street or landmark)
• A brief description of what is happening/happened
• A description of the patient’s condition or medical history in the event of a medical call
• A description of the suspects and their whereabouts/weapons used in the event of a crime
• A description of what exactly is burning, and whether anyone is trapped in the event of a fire emergency

The PECC can be contacted for all life- or property-threatening emergencies by dialling 021 480 7700 from a cellphone or 107 from a landline.

End