​By Staff Reporter
Gauteng MEC for Roads and Transport, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, has appealed to all road users in the province to exercise caution and understanding to reduce accidents and fatalities during the festive season. 
"The Department is calling for the cooperation of motorists, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians to achieve this goal" pleaded the MEC. 
This follows the launch of this year's national road safety campaign themed "Every day without a Road Death – South Africa 2024". It primarily places driver behaviour as the focus of this year's road safety campaign. It is based on four pillars: responsible driving; pedestrian safety; enforcement; and education. 
The festive period brings with it increased risks to public safety on the roads due to high traffic volumes as people travel to various destinations within the province and across the country. 
"As we enter the 2024 festive season, the Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport wishes to remind all public transport operators, commuters and all road users to play their part by being safe, considerate and exercising caution while on the roads". 
The MEC further reminded all who will be traveling that "road safety is everyone's responsibility. This is so given the high number of accidents and fatalities recorded in our province especially during this high peak season". 
She also made an appeal to all road users – drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians - for mutual respect and strict adherence to all warnings, rules and regulations. 
MEC Diale-Tlabela went further and condemned acts of violence across all modes of public transport, discouraging protests, strikes, shutdowns or any actions that will result in disruption of services.  
She added the Department was in constant engagement with public transport stakeholders with the intention of finding lasting solutions to challenges facing the sector.
This, she said, was a sincere call for a peaceful festive season as the Department and stakeholders continue with engagements, collaborating and working to find lasting solutions to protect, grow, and improve public transport in Gauteng. 
On traffic law enforcement, the MEC cautioned that traffic and law enforcement officials will be out in force throughout the province to ensure reckless and drunk driving is dealt with, and "culprits face the full might of the law". 
She urged road users to ensure vehicles are roadworthy – that brakes, lights, tyres, and windscreen wipers, amongst others, are in good condition; cyclists and pedestrians are visible at all times. 
The MEC reiterated the call that "road safety is a collective responsibility that requires all of us to play our part in appreciating that the road is a shared space and take responsibility for our actions. Think and drive to stay alive".