Government on course to miss deadline to calibrate and verify traffic equipment

19 March 2021

The DA has received worrying reports that South Africa may miss its deadline to approve and verify equipment used for road traffic law enforcement before 31 March 2021, as prescribed by the Legal Metrology Act and Legal Metrology Regulations.

We will write to the Minister of Transport, Fikile Mbalula, to urgently engage with the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel, to push back the deadline for the calibration of this equipment. This is because ensuring that the equipment used to police South African roads is properly serviced falls under the mandate of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.

If this large-scale annual calibration and verification does not take place in time, it will have enormous implications for road safety and the patrol thereof, especially given the upcoming Easter weekend in April, traditionally one of the most fatal periods every year.

Failure by Departments to calibrate and verify this traffic equipment will have consequences on officers to enforce traffic laws; the legality and accuracy of speeding cameras; as well as impact the legislation of speeding and other fines.

It’s unfathomable that the Departments have left this task until the last minute and seems to be doing little to try and remedy the situation.

Statement issued by Chris Hunsinger MP - DA Shadow Minister of Transport, 19 March 2021