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MOSSEL BAY NEWS & VIDEO - There simply is no escaping law enforcement on local roads anymore. New technology now enables traffic officials to issue on-the-spot fines or even to arrest perpetrators for traffic violations performed elsewhere or even months ago.

Traffic offenders' conduct is now recorded in real time on a new smart technology system. A full history of driver conduct is shared among law enforcement officials across the province.

Coming face to face with traffic officials will from now on entail much, much more than a mere roadworthy check of the vehicle.

The Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) pioneered a handheld smart technology tool as a force multiplier and evidence-based decision tool - an Intelligence Hub (ITIH).

Provincial traffic officials in the Western Cape are already equipped with the new ITIH technology. A total of 118 new traffic law enforcement vehicles are also in the process of being equipped with in-vehicle ITIH technology.

Jandré Bakker, head of communication for the DTPW, said the ITIH technology already has made significant improvements to road safety and transport management in the Western Cape.

"The Hub brings together data from the Transport Management Branch's Traffic Management, Traffic Law Enforcement, Transport Operations and the Provincial Regulatory Entity to support evidence-based decision making.

"Every DTPW traffic officer on duty has a hand-held ITIH device that alerts him or her to possible infringements of the law linked to specific vehicles," said Bakker.

Traffic officers now capture data about speeding, overloading and other offences on the spot. This data is added to the ITIH immediately, enabling the DTPW to deploy its officer resources in the most effective way, in real time.

The Western Cape Department of Transport and Public Works (DTPW) pioneered a handheld smart technology tool as a force multiplier and evidence-based decision tool - an Intelligence Hub (ITIH).

The system is continually gathering intelligence and integrating a wide range of information that can be used to monitor patterns and trends, and quickly identify problems that require management intervention.

Bakker explained that if you are caught on camera for speeding, for example, the offence is automatically loaded on the smart technology and if the Mossel Bay traffic officials with the new tool scan your driver's and vehicle licences at a local roadblock when you arrive in town, you can be arrested on the spot.

The tool also captures and stores offences and when scanning is done, immediately shows outstanding speeding fines and so forth.

Driver fatigue can also be monitored. If your licence is scanned somewhere on your way to Mossel Bay and again scanned within a certain time frame somewhere else, it would show that you did not have any rest.

Bakker said: "Focusing on public transport and freight vehicles, the ITIH will monitor and programme results by scanning vehicle number plates and drivers' licences at intervals on their journeys. This will generate specific data, including average speed, and time spent resting versus time spent behind the wheel."

If your licence is scanned somewhere on your way to Mossel Bay and again scanned within a certain timeframe somewhere else, it would show that you did not have any rest.

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No tolerance for drunk driving
Bakker and Mossel Bay regional provincial traffic chief, Reinet Srikakis, warned that during the festive season officials will be at roadblocks, making use of the new ITIH. Both said there would be no tolerance for drunk driving and other offences.

Srikakis said: "Every weekend we have roadblocks at the same spots and motorists just don't want to adhere to the message of don't drink and drive. At the same spots, we seldom catch less than six drunken drivers every weekend."

Bakker said: "We have also heard many times that with couples, husbands let their wives who have also been drinking, drive because they think we will not arrest women for drunk driving. The law does not discriminate [according to gender] and we will subject anyone to the full power of the law.

"The roadblocks are not about making money. They are all about road safety," Bakker said.

According to Bakker his greatest wish is to see one roadblock without any traffic offences recorded.

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