The Transport Department says it’s struggling to reduce fatalities on South Africa’s roads. Over the past seven years, road accidents have cost the economy around R1 trillion.
The Department was briefing the Select Committee on Transport, Public Service and Administration, Public Works and Infrastructure, on its annual performance plan. It says these accidents have a bearing and cost on the economy.
In the past five years, road fatalities cost the fiscus more than R164 billion. Over the past seven years, that figure jumps to over R1 trillion.
While there was a decrease in road accidents during the lockdown period, once restrictions were lifted, the picture was the same as before.
The department says it’s trying to strengthen the fight against road fatalities with a number of measures. These include a partnership with the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation.
“The need for us to decrease road fatalities is based on the effect and the costs that they have on the economy of the country. You will see that over the past five years on average, the costs of fatalities are sitting at R160 billion. And the total costs for the seven years cumulatively have surpassed the one trillion mark which is a concern for the country. Hence, the need for us to strengthen our fight against road accidents and fatalities so that we can move quickly,” says the Head of Planning and Strategy in the Department of Transport, Bosa Ramantsi.
